NEWS
Fake Degrees: FG Orders Probe Of Nigeria’s Private Varsities
The Federal Ministry of Education has established a committee to scrutinize the operations of private universities founded within the last 15 years.
Prof. Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, announced on Tuesday that the committee’s focus was to assess whether the institutions possess the required facilities, a sound management framework, and sufficient funding for their programs, among other criteria.
Moreover, Prof. Mamman highlighted that the inter-ministerial committee tasked with investigating illegal universities would also delve into verifying claims of degree certificate irregularities within both local and foreign private universities operating in Nigeria.
He made these remarks while inaugurating the inter-ministerial committee responsible for addressing the issue of degree mills in the country.
While listing the functions of the Committee, the minister said, “Review the role of any MDA or its officials (including identifying such officials) in facilitation of the recognition and procurement of the fake certificate in question;
“Review existing policies and procedures related to accreditation and certification to identify weaknesses contributing to the issue; examine the rules, procedures and processes for recognition and accreditation of foreign universities and programmes by the Federal Ministry of Education.
“Establish if unapproved foreign institutions (Degree Mills) exist or not in Nigeria in whatever form with their identities and locations if any.
“Make appropriate recommendations for review of any rules, procedures, processes to prevent re-occurrence and sanctions for identified erring officials;
“Make other recommendation that will strengthen the system of recognitions, accreditations and quality assurance of degrees in Nigeria.
“Examine the extant rules, procedures and processes for granting of provisional licenses to new universities by the National Universities Commission.
“Examine the procedures and processes for periodic accreditation of programmes in the universities by the NUC and examine their effectiveness in quality assurance of the programmes;
“Without prejudice to the periodic accreditation exercise of the NUC, examine whether or not Private Universities established in the last 15 years have in the place prescribed facilities, appropriate management structure, adequate funding of programmes, requisite staff (nature of staff-full time, contract, adjunct, visiting, other types).”
BIZTELLERS reports that the discussions on degree mills gained prominence in Nigeria after an investigative report by Umar Audu, a journalist from the Daily Nigerian newspaper.
Audu’s investigation focused on the operations of degree mills in Benin Republic and Togo. He uncovered his ability to obtain a degree in just six weeks and subsequently participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Audu’s interaction with a syndicate specializing in the sale of degree certificates in December 2022 led to his graduation in February 2023, acquiring a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Following the report exposing illegal practices by some higher education institutions in West African states, the Nigerian government imposed a ban on accrediting and evaluating degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, later announced the extension of this scrutiny to institutions in other African nations, including Ghana.
Statistics from the National Association of Nigerian Students in Benin Republic and Togo suggest that the Nigerian government’s ban could impact around 10,900 Nigerian students enrolled in universities in Benin and Togo.
The National Universities Commission, responsible for regulating universities in Nigeria, disclosed that among the 58 universities whose operations have been suspended in the country, at least 18 are foreign-owned institutions.
In a shocking incident on Sunday morning, unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of Alhaji Auwal, a prominent businessman, in Garo Town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.
The gunmen, estimated to be around 10 in number, forced their way into the residence, breaking down a door to gain entry.
An anonymous source revealed that the attackers were heavily armed, with three carrying firearms and the rest wielding other weapons.
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They quickly gathered the entire family in one room, instilling fear and panic in the household.
According to the source, Alhaji Auwal pleaded with the assailants to spare his family and agreed to meet their demands.
The kidnappers, who were determined to extort money, received ₦8 million from the family.
Despite this payment, the gunmen took the businessman’s eldest daughter, Zainab, a secondary school graduate, before fleeing the scene.
The whereabouts of Zainab remain unknown, and as of now, the kidnappers have not contacted the family.
This abduction comes just 48 hours after the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of former Gombe State Permanent Secretary, Atiku Mu’azu, who was killed by gunmen after a ₦10 million ransom was paid.
The two incidents have left the residents of Kano in shock and fear, prompting calls for increased security measures in the area.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
Authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the investigation.
In a bold move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared on Sunday that he would not allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants to access his country’s airspace.
The left-wing leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his strong stance, stating, “The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants.”
Petro made it clear that such flights would only be accepted once Washington established a protocol to ensure the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
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The president later confirmed in a separate post that he had already turned back US military planes that were en route with Colombian migrants on board, although he did not provide further specifics on the matter.
While AFP sought confirmation from US authorities regarding the blockade of deportation flights, no immediate response was forthcoming.
Petro’s statements come just a day after Brazil’s government voiced similar outrage over the treatment of deported Brazilians.
Brazil condemned the US administration under President Donald Trump, citing instances where Brazilian migrants were deported while handcuffed on flights, describing it as a “flagrant disregard” for their basic rights.
In his remarks, Petro emphasized that he would be open to allowing civilian US flights to transport deported migrants as long as they were not subjected to treatment “like criminals,” signaling a broader call for humane treatment of migrants under international deportation policies.
An explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured on Sunday morning.
The blast occurred as miners resumed operations, sending shockwaves through the community.
While the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, local residents have pointed to the poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies as a possible factor.
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The incident has sparked concerns about safety practices within the mining sector.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies, but authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the blast and assess the full extent of the damage.
One resident, Aminu, described the chaos that followed the explosion. “The sound was so loud that many of us thought it came from the hydroelectricity dam nearby. People panicked and ran into the bush for safety,” he recounted.
Another community member highlighted the potential role of mining operations in the tragedy.
“Mining companies here frequently use explosives during their activities, and this seems like an operational issue, not something related to terrorism,” the resident said, dismissing concerns about a security threat in the area.
As of the time of reporting, neither the state government nor security agencies have released an official statement regarding the explosion.
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