International

Fake Degrees: Uganda, Kenya Demand Verification Of Nigerian Students’ Credentials

Examination boards in Kenya and Uganda are now seeking verification from Nigeria for records presented by Nigerian candidates applying for admission into their tertiary institutions. This was disclosed by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in a document prepared for the 2024 policy meeting.

JAMB emphasized that it would not falsify any student records, underscoring the importance of safeguarding Nigeria’s tertiary education system from disrepute. This development follows the Nigerian Federal Government’s decision to suspend the verification of degree certificates from Uganda, Kenya, Benin Republic, Togo, and several other countries amid concerns over certificate racketeering.

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In March, the Federal Government established an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling to investigate certificate racketeering activities. This action was prompted by an investigative report by Daily Nigerian, in which reporter Umar Audu obtained a degree within six weeks and completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps in Nigeria.

The report exposed illegal activities in certain West African tertiary institutions, leading to the Nigerian government’s ban on accrediting and evaluating degrees from Benin Republic and Togo. The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, vowed to remove holders of fake degrees from the system, both from Nigerian and foreign universities.

FURTHER READING

The committee’s recommendations included the requirement for Nigerian universities to conduct admissions through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) and the mandatory submission of matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education.

According to a document obtained by PUNCH on Tuesday, JAMB noted that examination boards in Kenya and Uganda are now contacting Nigeria to verify records of Nigerian students seeking admission in those countries. “Uganda and Kenya examination boards are now writing to JAMB to confirm records presented by candidates for admission. JAMB would not falsify records,” the exam body stated.

It was also reported on Monday that the Federal Government has mandated all higher institutions in Nigeria to submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education no later than three months after their matriculation ceremonies. These lists must be submitted via JAMB’s dedicated channel as part of the government’s effort to curb the proliferation of fake degrees and certificate racketeering.

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