The federal government has uncovered a massive scandal involving over 22,500 Nigerians using fake degrees from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic and Togo to secure jobs in the public and private sectors.
According to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, investigations revealed that 21,600 fake degrees were obtained from Benin between 2019-2023, while 1,105 were from Togo.
Many of these individuals never even attended the schools physically.
The government has declared all degrees issued by these universities during this period invalid.
A circular is being prepared by the Head of Service to identify and prosecute offenders.
Private companies are also urged to investigate staff with foreign degrees from this period.
Interestingly, only 5 universities in Benin and 3 in Togo are accredited to award degrees.
The scandal came to light after a reporter obtained a degree from a Benin university in just 6 weeks.
This led to the suspension of accreditation for degrees from both countries.
The government aims to tackle the issue of fake certificates and out-of-school children, with plans to enroll 3-4 million children annually.