Nigeria has announced its intention to expand the suspension of degree accreditation to additional countries, including Kenya and Uganda. This decision follows the recent suspension of accreditation for degrees obtained in Benin and Togo.
Education Minister Tahir Mamman stated during an interview on Nigeria’s Channels Television channel on Wednesday, “We are not going to stop at just Benin and Togo. We are going to extend the dragnet to countries like Uganda, Kenya, even Niger, where such institutions have been set up.”
The directive aims to address concerns about fraudulent qualifications from foreign degree mills, prompted by an exposé by the Daily Nigerian newspaper. The investigation revealed how a reporter obtained a degree for a four-year programme from a Benin university in less than two months.
Mamman emphasised that he has no sympathy for individuals affected by the suspension, considering them part of a criminal chain that should be arrested. Nigeria has initiated a formal investigation into the ministries and agencies responsible for accrediting academic qualifications obtained abroad.
The minister underscored that the measure is intended to safeguard Nigeria’s employers and maintain the integrity of the country’s qualifications.