In a decisive move to combat the proliferation of fake degrees, the Federal Government has mandated all higher institutions in Nigeria to submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education within three months of their matriculation ceremonies. This directive, part of a broader initiative to clamp down on degree racketeering, requires institutions to submit these lists via the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
This measure is among several recommendations from an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling, established by the government in March. The committee was tasked with probing the activities of degree mills and certificate racketeers following an explosive investigative report by Daily Nigerian, which revealed the ease with which fake degrees could be obtained from institutions in the Benin Republic. The report detailed how a journalist, Umar Audu, obtained a degree within six weeks and even participated in Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the fraudulent certificate.
The revelations led the Nigerian government to impose a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo. In response, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, vowed to purge the system of holders of fake degrees from both Nigerian and foreign universities.
In a memo dated July 15, 2024, addressed to JAMB, the education ministry underscored the importance of the new regulations. The memo stated, “You may recall that following the publication of allegations of certificate racketeering involving some foreign institutions, especially in Cotonou, Benin Republic, and other countries, the ministry constituted an inter-ministerial committee to investigate the allegations to find lasting solutions.”
The memo continued, “The committee has submitted its report, and the Honourable Minister of Education has approved its recommendations for implementation. In that regard, I hereby convey the request of the honourable minister for the implementation of the following recommendations of the committee: enforce the mandatory requirement for all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to exclusively conduct their admissions processes through the Central Admissions Processing System under the auspices of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board; mandate all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to regularly submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education not later than three months after matriculation ceremonies through the dedicated channel of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.”
The memo concluded by requesting JAMB to implement the recommendations and provide the ministry with updates on their progress.
This new mandate marks a significant step in the government’s efforts to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s educational system and to ensure that only genuine qualifications are recognised. The crackdown on fake degrees is expected to have far-reaching implications, not only for institutions within Nigeria but also for foreign universities whose degrees are sought by Nigerian students. As the government continues its efforts to cleanse the system, the spotlight remains firmly on ensuring that Nigeria’s higher education sector upholds the highest standards of credibility and excellence.
