The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to revoke its sweeping invalidation of degrees from the Republic of Benin and Togo, describing the blanket policy as potentially unfair to legitimate graduates.
The call followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Public Petitions during plenary on Wednesday, March 11.
Chairman of the committee, Laori Kwamoti, explained that the recommendations stemmed from a petition filed by Sovereignty Legal Practitioners on behalf of education stakeholders. The petition challenged the government’s move to invalidate certificates from the two West African nations over alleged academic fraud.
The committee recommended a more targeted, case-by-case verification process to tackle proven instances of fraud rather than punishing all holders of foreign degrees. Lawmakers also urged the Federal Ministry of Education to collaborate with authorities in Benin and Togo to strengthen verification systems, curb certificate racketeering, and ensure proper authentication of foreign qualifications, The News Chronicle gathered.
The Federal Government first suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin and Togo in January 2024, following an undercover investigation that exposed widespread certificate fraud.
