Fake degrees: Investigative committee to submit report soon, says Minister

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has disclosed that the committee set up to probe fake academic degree certificates and degrees has concluded its sitting and will submit its report soon.

Recall that the federal government has set up the probe panel in January, following an undercover report by DAILY NIGERIAN reporter, Umar Audu.

In the report published on December 30, 2023, the reporter revealed how he finished a four-year degree programme in less than two months from Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The certificate was also used to get him mobilised for the national youth service scheme, NYSC.

The investigation prompted the Nigerian government to suspend the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.

But speaking during an interview with Channels TV, Mr Mamman said the report will be submitted within a few days.

He said, “I understand that they are about to submit their report in the next few days.

“The committee has completed sitting and basically doing the editing work. Very soon, we will have it.”

When asked to comment on how bad the issue of certificate racketeering and proliferation of fake institutions is in the country, Mr Mamman said: “I cannot comment on it (report) yet because the report is not before me but it appears there is a problem [certificate racketeering].

“That’s what am hearing too, but I can’t comment on what we are hearing until the report is ready.

“And we will tell the whole nation, what their findings are, because we are in a of people who, unfortunately, respect certificates.”