NewStats: 3,264,366 , 8,183,482 topics. Date: Tuesday, 10 June 2025 at 06:45 PM g1q43

Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, disclosed, on Friday, that over 22, 500 Nigerians are parading fake certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo between 2019 and 2023.

He said that over 21, 600 obtained the certificates from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic within the time frame, while about 1,105 also obtained theirs at some unaccredited Universities in Togo.

The Minister disclosed the information at a press conference in Abuja, to mark his first anniversary, adding that some of the numbers were harvested from records from the National Youth Service Corp and other sources.

He said, “From all indications, the figure is higher than what we have already. This is because some of the people choose not to participate in the mandatory NYSC scheme and other engagements that would have enabled us to harvest their data.


“Sadly, these people have used the fake certificates to apply and secure job opportunities in government and private organizations with the mindset that they schooled abroad, while people who studied day and night are out there looking for job opportunities.

“Even within the countries, Benin and Togo, these universities are not accredited to offer degree programmes. I don’t know how Nigerians chose to go to unaccredited institutions abroad to ‘study’. Our investigations also indicated that many of the people never even attended the school physically. ”

The Minister, however, confirmed that a circular is being prepared from the Office of Head of Service of the Federation that would enable the fish out of these people for due prosecution.

“Private sector operators are also encouraged to carry out further investigations on their staff who are parading foreign certificates and ensure that anyone parading a certificate obtained from these countries between 2019 and 2023 is fished out and handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education for prosecution. Because the circular from the Head of Service will also be binding on private sector operators.”

Nevertheless, he confirmed that only five Universities in Benin and three in Togo were accredited to offer degree programmes, and people who ed through those schools were exempted from the punitive measures.

Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that about four million out-of-school children have been pulled off the streets back to the classrooms through several of its programmes majorly championed by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-school Children.

He added, “Our target is the see about 3 to 4 million children leave the streets and return the school annually, and if that is successfully achieved, then by the end of the istration, significant achievements would have been made as regards the out-of-school children.

The PUNCH reports that the activities of degree mills once again came to the centre of discussions in Nigeria, following an investigative report by a reporter, Umar Audu, with the Daily Nigerian newspaper on the activities of degree mills in Benin Republic and Togo.

The reporter revealed how he obtained a degree within six weeks and even proceeded to embark on mandatory youth service under the National Youth Service Corps scheme.

Audu, who reached out to the syndicate that specialises in selling degree certificates in December 2022, graduated in February 2023 and was issued a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication certificate from the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The report which exposed the illegalities perpetrated by some tertiary institutions in the West African states led to the Nigerian government placing a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman having received the report of the Committee, noted that holders of fake degrees from Nigerian and foreign universities will be flushed out of the system.

Some of the recommendations of the committee stressed the need for universities in the country to conduct their issions via the Central issions Processing System popularly known as CAPS and the mandatory submission of matriculation list.

https://punchng.com/22500-nigerians-parading-fake-certificates-from-benin-togo-fg/

Including that of the Bobo of Chicago?

Oga Minister, this table you are trying to shake has...........

Even those that are not fake are not genuine.

OND in Nigeria is far better than any university degree from Benin and Togo.

Cc: naptu2 seun.

Basically, we don't have enough universities for those who want a uni education. Which is why JAMB brought in UTME...it was their subtle way of telling NIgerians that 1) not everyone is cut out for university education 2) there aren't enough spaces anyway in university 3) why not try a polytechnic or college of education ? It is also why we have had private universites for the past two decades.


Also, the only way to get a job in NIgeria that pays well....have a university degree. Hence the issue.

The destruction of Nigerians and their image in the world continues from Tinubu's
irresponsible appointees


Minister of Health with Secretary of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria NMCN are on the other side destroying the career future of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives by shutting down their license verification portal in the name of trying to stop healthcare professionals from migrating abroad to work (even though we have hundreds of unemployed Nurses in Nigeria that Nigeria has been unable to employ oh) or further their Studies, which is a professional bullying and human rights violation.


And the same Minister of Health Ali Pate being desperate to stop Nigerian Nurses from migrating abroad migrated abroad to work before returning back to Nigeria because of political appointment and all his children are abroad studying and working.



God will destroy APC and their evil ers as they have swore to destroy Nigerians home and abroad

Nawa oo

Mynd44:

https://punchng.com/22500-nigerians-parading-fake-certificates-from-benin-togo-fg/

Can't l wake up with Good news for once in this country

nairalanda1:
Basically, we don't have enough universities for those who want a uni education

We have more than enough!

University is not primary or secondary school. University is not farm or industry. What problem are Nigerian universities solving other than issuing useless certificates to thousands every year who end not gainfully employed.

You are educated after Secondary school

University education is not compulsory!

I dont believe this figure. No methodology of investigation was provided.

So many first class graduates you see them out there got their Certificates from a Nearby Computer Centre designed and created by a computer operator with Excellent Corel-draw skills. I have first-hand knowledge on this

This one is a reeeaal Yoruba mooslim. That black patch on his forehead is evidence of chronic head slamming. Tufiakwa!

Noted.

Oluwole certificate

What about local certificates? How can we know so much about foreign schools yet have nothing to say about local schools? I wont accept the figures until I see how they arrived at it.


Degree For Sale: Sting Operation Exposes Lagos University Certificate Racketeering, Shielding Of Workers Charging Up To N3Million Per Buyer

Mynd44:

https://punchng.com/22500-nigerians-parading-fake-certificates-from-benin-togo-fg/

. Aclappa!! This whole bunch is the Minister's achievement in 1year.

Don't we serve a living God?

BenuePolitician:
So many first class graduates you see them out there got their Certificates from a Nearby Computer Centre designed and created by a computer operator with Excellent Corel-draw skills. I have first-hand knowledge on this

are you from the ministry of vawulence?

This system needs to be changed

The person way appoint you still dey use fake certificate they rule us.

We know!

If the president can become the president with fake certificates, then these ones shouldn't be an issue na.


English no be your mate


Imagine Tinubu telling Nigerians that he "will reduce the purchasing power of Nigerians when he becomes the president" and the audiences were clapping 👏 because the English sounds like big grammar.

Today the man is the president and has done what he promised Nigerians and those who were clapping for the speech took to the streets to protest.



English no be your mate oo

...
Commander-in-chief is their grand patron.

Hehehehehehehe

So Nigeria have accurate Data of the fake certificates plz how? Abi na arrengee

If you are not in the system, you will never believe this. The rate at which Nigerians are parading fake certificates call for concerns. I have a brother that was a principal in a private school few years ago. I was really surprised to hear from him his experience from those guys bringing certificates from Togo and Benin Republic to look for teaching job. You could imagine a graduate of mass communication that couldn't construct a simple sentence. The moment he saw you are parading a certificate from any school from those countries. It's straight into dustbin.

Nigerians never take responsibility for their actions watch some dimwits blame Tinubu their Ezechukwu of Igbo land their political headache

datola:


We have more than enough!

University is not primary or secondary school. University is not farm or industry. What problem are Nigerian universities solving other than issuing useless certificates to thousands every year who end not gainfully employed.

You are educated after Secondary school

University education is not compulsory!

Dang, see wisdom in a comment. But of course, most people won't get this poster's wise comment.

Start with Bola Ahmed Tinubu who graduated from Government College Lagos in 1970 when the school was founded in 1974.

So they can go to Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

Good

nairalanda1:
Basically, we don't have enough universities for those who want a uni education. Which is why JAMB brought in UTME...it was their subtle way of telling NIgerians that 1) not everyone is cut out for university education 2) there aren't enough spaces anyway in university 3) why not try a polytechnic or college of education ? It is also why we have had private universites for the past two decades.


Also, the only way to get a job in NIgeria that pays well....have a university degree. Hence the issue.

always forming analyst. Phone repair technicians who make close a million abound.

Demand of degree certificates is not a strong justification for compromising standard by the way.