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Nigerian Govt Sacks Civil Servants With ‘Fake’ Degrees From Benin, Togo

The Federal Government has dismissed civil servants who obtained degrees from private universities in Benin Republic and Togo between 2017 and 2023, following concerns over fraudulent academic practices.

The directive was confirmed on Wednesday by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that in August, the Federal Government disclosed that only eight universities in these countries were accredited to award degrees to Nigerians. This came after an investigative report exposed a journalist acquiring a degree from a Benin Republic university in just two months and using it for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

Subsequently, the government banned the evaluation and accreditation of degrees from tertiary institutions in the two countries and set up an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling to probe certificate racketeering.

Former Education Minister Tahir Mamman revealed that over 22,500 Nigerians had obtained fraudulent degrees from these institutions. The certificates have since been invalidated, with Mamman stating that the move was necessary to preserve Nigeria’s academic integrity.

He emphasized that many recipients of the fake certificates never left Nigeria, instead obtaining them through racketeering involving officials at home and abroad. Mamman also called on private sector employers to scrutinize certificates from these institutions.

The directive to dismiss affected workers was issued through a memo from the OSGF, instructing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to terminate the appointments of employees with degrees from unaccredited institutions. An anonymous source confirmed the action was based on the committee’s findings, describing it as part of broader efforts to cleanse the civil service.

Some agencies, including the NYSC, have already begun implementing the directive. NYSC Director of Information, Caroline Embu, confirmed that five staff members had been dismissed as a result.

Civil Servants Degrees Benin Togo

While the exact number of affected civil servants remains unclear, the government’s stance reflects a commitment to addressing the proliferation of fake academic credentials and restoring confidence in Nigeria’s educational system.