A forum of stakeholders in Benin and Togo institutions of higher education has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to disclose the list of accredited higher education institutions in the respective countries.
They made the request following statements on social media attributed to the minister of education, Tahir Mamman, that some students going to neighbouring countries, especially Togo and Benin, to obtain degree certificates are not going there at all.
Prof. Amani Danjuma, who issued a press statement on behalf of the forum, said the government of Nigeria has not revealed the details of its findings, reviews, and recommendations.
It also noted that apart from the eight institutions mentioned by the Nigerian Minister of Education, other institutions, including the “Institute of Ecole Superieur,” are private institutions fully licensed by the Beninese and Togolese Governments to award degrees in various courses accredited from time to time for the institutions.
“In the case of Togo, we have three Universities that are officially approved and licensed to offer degrees, and in Benin, there are about five of them.
“So, anyone who did not attend these universities is parading a fake certificate, so in the final analysis, what the federal government approved was that the secretary of the government of the federation will issue a circular to all employers, whether public or private to fish out anybody with a certificate from these institutions that circular probably would have been out by now.
“Contrary to the minister’s stand that only five and three universities are permitted to run degree programmes in Benin and Togo respectively, the Ministry of Education of Togo, when contacted by our media team after the press conference of Nigeria’s education minister, debunked this statement and informed us that the committee that visited Togo’s Ministry misinterpreted what it was told,” it added.
