FG Probes 107 Private Universities Following Certificate Scandal

The Federal Government has initiated a probe into private universities established within the last 15 years and has called for public memoranda to aid the investigation.

This move follows an investigative report by Daily Nigerian journalist Umar Audu, revealing certificate racketeering in neighboring Benin Republic and Togo.

Valid View Network reports that there have been approximately 107 private universities established during this period.

The Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling, established by the Federal Government, will assess whether these universities have the necessary facilities, management structures, program funding, and appropriate staff compositions.

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The committee emphasized that the investigation does not prejudice the periodic accreditation exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission.

They seek public memoranda to gather information and make recommendations in line with their terms of reference.

In response to Audu’s investigative report, the Federal Government announced on January 9, 2024, its intention to investigate private universities established in the last 15 years.

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Prof. Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, announced this in Abuja during the inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on fake degrees and activities of degree mills.

The Committee, chaired by Jibrila Amin, will review the roles of relevant government agencies and officials in facilitating the recognition and procurement of fake certificates.

It will also scrutinize the rules and processes for recognizing and accrediting foreign universities and programs, identify any unauthorized foreign institutions (Degree Mills) in Nigeria, and make recommendations to prevent recurrence and sanction erring officials.

Additionally, it will suggest measures to strengthen the system of recognition, accreditation, and quality assurance of degrees in Nigeria, as well as review the procedures for granting provisional licenses to new universities by the National Universities Commission.