From left, Hodonou Nehunun, Dr Shitru Sanny, Gabriel Kona and Abiola Daramola during the press briefing by members of Coalition of Stakeholders in Education on the invalidation of degrees from universities in Benin Republic and Togo in Lagos.

The recent invalidation of degrees from Togo and Benin has significant implications for approximately 22,000 Nigerian individuals.

The recent decision to invalidate degree certificates from certain universities in Togo and the Benin Republic, effective from 2017 to the present, has left over 22,000 Nigerian graduates from these institutions in a state of confusion regarding their academic futures. This information was shared by the Coalition of Stakeholders in Education (CSE) during a press briefing in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday.

The coalition has urged the federal government to reconsider this decision and lift the blanket ban on the certificates issued by higher education institutions in these two West African countries. Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman recently stated that this measure is part of efforts to combat the proliferation of degree mills both domestically and internationally, declaring that degrees obtained from these nations since 2017 are no longer valid or recognized.

However, CSE leaders, including Dr. Shittu Sanny, Gabriel Kona, Abiola Daramola, and Hodonou Nohunun, criticized the government's approach, arguing that sanctions should target individuals who attended unaccredited institutions or acquired their degrees through fraudulent means. They also challenged the government's decision to recognize only five public universities in Benin and three in Togo, while excluding private universities.

"There are more than five accredited universities in Benin and over three in Togo. In Benin alone, there are eight public universities and 95 private universities recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research," they stated.

Furthermore, a reliable source from the Ministry of Education in Benin confirmed that the list of accredited institutions was provided to the inter-ministerial committee that visited earlier this year from Nigeria, and this list is available for download on their official website.

The minister's decision to retroactively invalidate these certificates is indefensible. Is it not the same ministry that provided parents and students with a list of accredited institutions from which they could choose? Has the ministry been misleading Nigerians all this time? Why did the ministry evaluate the graduates of these universities for so many years?

"We must question whether diligent students, who worked hard to earn their credentials from these countries, should be penalized for the actions of a few. Thus, imposing greater penalties for the misdeeds of a minority is not a viable solution," they remarked.

Sanny, who noted that some stakeholders met with the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sunnunu, on June 30 regarding this matter, stated that the minister assured them that students from accredited institutions listed by the ministry had nothing to worry about, raising concerns about the abrupt policy shift.

Silas Jime, a graduate from a university in Benin Republic and a former leader of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the Diaspora, expressed that the policy lacked proper consideration.

"Before seeking admission to these foreign universities, individuals consulted the Federal Ministry of Education to verify the list of accredited institutions and approved courses.

They followed this process, studied at these institutions, and returned. Prior to participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the same ministry assessed their certificates, and the NYSC did likewise. How can the government suddenly declare these certificates as worthless?

"Additionally, is the Nigerian government suggesting that there are no reputable private universities in those countries? Many Nigerians have attended universities there, including the current governor of Yobe State, Mala Buni, who graduated from a university in Benin Republic," he stated.

Several students present at the briefing urged President Bola Tinubu to take action and instruct the minister and his team to conduct thorough investigations rather than impose a sweeping ban on them and their qualifications.

Earlier this year, the federal government launched an inquiry into the operations of degree mills both domestically and internationally, prompted by a journalist's revelation of obtaining a degree certificate from a university in Benin Republic in a matter of weeks.

Additionally, he was re-mobilized for the NYSC program after submitting the required information using the certificate from Benin Republic.