The decision to probe these
institutions follows revelations of certificate racketeering exposed in a
report by Umar Audu, a journalist with Daily Nigerian, focusing on activities
in neighboring Benin Republic and Togo.
According to available data, no
fewer than 107 private universities have been established in the specified
timeframe.
A special Inter-Ministerial
Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling, mandated by the Federal
Government, will scrutinize various aspects of these universities, including
the adequacy of facilities, management structures, funding, and staff
composition.
In an advertisement published on
Tuesday, the committee stressed that its investigation would complement, rather
than replace, the routine accreditation procedures carried out by the National
Universities Commission.
Members of the public are
encouraged to submit memoranda to the committee, offering insights and
information to assist in the formulation of recommendations to combat the
identified issues.
The call for action comes in
response to an investigative report by Umar Audu, published late last year,
detailing his expedited acquisition of a degree from Benin Republic within six
weeks and subsequent enrollment in the National Youth Service Corps programme.
The Federal Government
officially announced the launch of the investigation on January 9, 2024, during
the inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on fake degrees and degree
mill activities in Abuja.
Committee Chairman Jibrila Amin
outlined the committee's mandate, which includes scrutinizing the roles of
relevant government agencies and officials in facilitating the recognition and
procurement of fake certificates. Additionally, the committee will assess the
procedures for accrediting foreign universities and programs, identify any
unapproved foreign institutions operating as degree mills within Nigeria, and
propose measures to prevent recurrence while imposing sanctions on culpable
individuals.
The committee is also tasked
with making recommendations to enhance the quality assurance of degrees in
Nigeria and reviewing the procedures for granting provisional licenses to new
universities by the National Universities Commission.
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