Following the recent suspension of degree accreditation from Benin and Togo, Nigeria has announced its decision to widen the scope of this suspension to include additional countries, including Kenya and Uganda.
Education Minister Tahir Mamman confirmed this decision during an interview on Channels Television, citing an effort to combat fraudulent qualifications from foreign degree mills.
“We are not going to stop at just Benin and Togo,” declared Minister Mamman.
He added: “We are going to extend the dragnet to countries like Uganda, Kenya, even Niger here where such institutions have been set up.”
This expansion of the directive comes on the heels of an exposé by the Daily Nigerian newspaper, where an undercover investigation revealed the swift acquisition of a four-year degree from a Benin-based university in under two months.
Expressing no sympathy for those affected, Mamman emphasized that individuals possessing such fraudulent qualifications are not victims but complicit in criminal activities and should face legal repercussions.
In response to the findings, the Nigerian government has formally investigated the ministries and agencies responsible for accrediting academic qualifications obtained abroad.
Mamman reiterated that the measure aims to safeguard Nigerian employers and preserve the integrity of the country’s qualifications.
