Federal Government Mandates Regular Submission of Matriculation Lists to Combat Fake Degrees
The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced a new mandate requiring all higher institutions in the country to submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education within three months after matriculation ceremonies.
Lois Udoye 
The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced a new mandate requiring all higher institutions in the country to submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education within three months after matriculation ceremonies. The submission must be made through a designated channel of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
This directive is part of a broader initiative aimed at addressing and curbing the proliferation of fake degrees and degree mills. The initiative follows the recommendations of an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling, which was established earlier this year to investigate the activities of certificate racketeers.
In March 2024, the Federal Government formed the committee in response to an exposé by Daily Nigerian reporter Umar Audu. The investigative report highlighted how easy it was to obtain a degree within six weeks and subsequently engage in mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service in Nigeria. This report also exposed the involvement of degree mills in the Benin Republic and led to a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.
The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, emphasized that the new mandate aims to eliminate fake degree holders from the educational system. In a memo dated July 15, 2024, addressed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the Ministry of Education outlined the need for all tertiary institutions to adhere to the following:
- Exclusively conduct admissions processes through the Central Admissions Processing System managed by JAMB.
- Regularly submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education via JAMB’s dedicated channel within three months of matriculation ceremonies.
The memo further requested JAMB to implement these recommendations and provide the Ministry with updates on the progress of the implementation.
The new policy is expected to enhance the integrity of the higher education system and ensure that only legitimate academic qualifications are recognized.
