The Federal Government has dismissed several civil servants whose qualifications were obtained from private universities in Benin Republic and Togo. This decision impacts federal employees who earned their degrees from these institutions since 2017.
Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), confirmed this on Wednesday.
This action follows an investigative report revealing fraudulent practices at some foreign universities. A journalist had, in a sting operation, obtained a degree from a Benin Republic university in just two months, which was then used to enroll in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
In response, the government banned the accreditation of degrees from tertiary institutions in these countries. An Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling was subsequently formed to investigate the issue.
Former Education Minister Tahir Mamman disclosed that over 22,500 Nigerians had acquired fake degrees from these institutions. He said, “Most of those parading the fake certificates didn’t even leave the shores of Nigeria but got their certificates through racketeering in collaboration with government officials at home and abroad.
“The fake universities capitalised on the gullibility of Nigerians patronising such fake schools. The Federal Government, through the offices of the Head of Civil Service and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, would fish out those in the government’s employment with such fake certificates. I also urge the private sector to follow suit.”
The SGF directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to terminate employees using such certificates. Some, including the NYSC, have already acted, with five staff members dismissed.
Authorities urged the private sector to adopt similar measures to maintain professional standards nationwide. This crackdown aims to protect the credibility of educational and employment systems in Nigeria.
