The Federal Government of Nigeria has terminated the appointments of several civil servants who obtained degrees from private tertiary institutions in Benin Republic and Togo between 2017 to date.
The decision follows investigations into widespread certificate racketeering involving foreign universities.
The directive, confirmed by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), was issued to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
It mandates the dismissal of workers employed with degrees from unaccredited institutions in the two francophone countries.
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A source within the SGF’s office disclosed that the move stems from recommendations by the Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling. The committee was tasked with probing fraudulent degree certifications awarded to Nigerians.
Earlier this year, a Nigerian journalist exposed the ease of acquiring a degree from a university in Benin Republic within just two months. The journalist used the fake certificate to gain entry into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Following the exposé, the government banned the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from tertiary institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.
In August, the Federal Government limited accreditation to only eight universities in the two countries authorized to award degrees to Nigerians.
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Former Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, revealed in a report to the Federal Executive Council that over 22,500 Nigerians had obtained fake degrees from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.
The government subsequently nullified these certificates, declaring no tolerance for fraudulent academic qualifications.
The NYSC is among the agencies enforcing the directive. Its Director of Information, Caroline Embu, confirmed the dismissal of five staff members in compliance with the SGF’s instructions.
“Five members of staff were affected by the directive contained in the letter from the office of the SGF. No more,” Embu stated.
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This crackdown reflects the government’s broader effort to address academic fraud and restore integrity to the education and employment sectors.
Civil servants with questionable degrees from unaccredited foreign institutions are under scrutiny as MDAs implement the directive nationwide.
The Federal Government’s firm stance signals its commitment to upholding standards and ensuring that public service positions are occupied by individuals with genuine qualifications.