The Federal Government has launched an inquiry into private universities established within the past 15 years, spurred by an investigative report by Daily Nigerian journalist, Umar Audu, uncovering certificate fraud in Benin Republic and Togo.
With 107 private universities established in this timeframe, the Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling, established by the Federal Government, will scrutinize the facilities, management structures, funding, and staff composition of these institutions.
Soliciting public input to inform its recommendations, the committee’s actions stem from a December 2023 scandal when journalist Umar Audu acquired a degree within six weeks from Benin Republic and participated in Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps program.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced the investigation into private universities while inaugurating the Inter-Ministerial Committee on fake degrees and degree mills in Abuja.
The committee’s objectives include reviewing the roles of government agencies in facilitating the recognition and procurement of counterfeit certificates, evaluating accreditation processes for foreign universities, identifying unapproved foreign institutions in Nigeria, and proposing measures to prevent future incidents.
Moreover, it will assess the procedures for granting provisional licenses to new universities by the National Universities Commission.
