Federal Government Approves Dismissal of Workers with Fake Degrees from Benin and Togo

The Federal Government has approved a new policy mandating the dismissal of public and private sector employees who obtained their qualifications from unrecognized institutions in Benin Republic and Togo using fake degrees.

Education Minister Tahir Mamman announced that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation will issue a directive to employers to identify and terminate individuals holding such fraudulent certificates. The Head of Service has also been tasked with removing public service employees who are found to possess these invalid qualifications.

This decision follows an investigation revealing that many Nigerians acquired degrees from non-accredited institutions in Benin Republic and Togo. An investigation by Daily Nigerian in December 2023 demonstrated that it was possible to obtain a degree in under two months from these institutions, allowing individuals to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

According to Mamman, the Ministry of Education, along with other relevant agencies, will implement measures to invalidate over 22,000 fake certificates. He detailed that the NYSC has identified approximately 21,684 cases involving fake certificates from Benin Republic, and 1,105 from Togo.

Mamman criticized the practice of obtaining degrees from institutions not officially recognized by their respective countries, highlighting that only a few universities in Benin and Togo are accredited to offer legitimate degrees. He urged that the policy aims to uphold the integrity of Nigerian qualifications and prevent unfair competition with those who earned their degrees through genuine efforts.

The new policy follows recommendations from an inter-ministerial committee and is part of broader efforts to address the issue of fraudulent academic credentials.