Grace Omachoko
The Federal Government has initiated a comprehensive probe into private universities established within the last 15 years, following revelations of certificate racketeering in neighboring countries.
It was revealed that, a total of 107 private universities were established during this period, prompting concerns over their operations and standards.
A newly formed Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling, mandated by the Federal Government, will scrutinize the adequacy of facilities, management structures, funding, and staff composition in these institutions.
The committee emphasized that the probe is independent of the periodic accreditation exercises conducted by the National Universities Commission and seeks public input to inform its recommendations.
The investigation was triggered by Audu’s investigative report detailing how he obtained a degree within six weeks from Benin Republic and completed the mandatory youth service under the National Youth Service Corps scheme in the country.
Reacting to the report, the Federal Government announced on January 9, 2024, its intention to launch an inquiry into private universities established in the past 15 years, as disclosed by Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during the inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on fake degrees and degree mills.
The committee, led by Chairman Jibrila Amin, will assess the involvement of government officials in the procurement and recognition of fake certificates, review recognition and accreditation processes for foreign universities, identify any unapproved foreign degree mills in Nigeria, and propose measures to enhance the integrity of degree recognition and accreditation processes.