The House of Representatives of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to reverse the blanket invalidation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.
The resolution followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Public Petitions during plenary on Wednesday.
Presenting the report, the committee’s chairman, Laori Kwamoti, said the recommendation was based on a petition submitted by Sovereignty Legal Practitioners on behalf of stakeholders in the education sector.
The petition challenged the Federal Government’s decision to invalidate degree certificates obtained from universities in the two West African countries over allegations of academic fraud.
In its report, the committee recommended that the Federal Government rescind the blanket ban, noting that the measure could adversely affect graduates who obtained their qualifications through legitimate means.
Reps lawmakers also advised that cases of certificate fraud should be handled through a verification process conducted on a case-by-case basis rather than imposing a general restriction on all certificates issued by institutions in the affected countries.
The House further called on the Federal Ministry of Education Nigeria to collaborate with education authorities in Benin Republic and Togo to strengthen verification mechanisms, address academic fraud and ensure proper authentication of foreign academic qualifications.
The Federal Government had in January 2024 suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo after an undercover investigation uncovered widespread certificate racketeering involving some institutions in the two countries.
