The Federal Government of Nigeria has dismissed civil servants who obtained degrees from private universities in Benin Republic and Togo between 2017 and now.
Segun Imohiosen, the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), confirmed the development on Wednesday.
This action follows the Federal Government’s earlier directive in August banning the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from tertiary institutions in the two countries. The decision was informed by an investigative report exposing how fake degrees were issued to Nigerians within a short period and used for official purposes, including the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Over 22,500 Fake Degrees Identified
The revelation, announced by the then Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, showed that over 22,500 Nigerians had acquired fraudulent certificates from Benin Republic and Togo. The government has since invalidated these degrees, deeming them harmful to Nigeria’s reputation.
Mamman stated that many of the certificates were obtained through racketeering schemes, with some individuals never leaving Nigeria. He added that the fraudulent activities were carried out in collaboration with local and foreign officials.
Implementation of Dismissals
Following recommendations from an inter-ministerial investigative committee, a memo was issued by the OSGF to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), directing the termination of appointments of affected workers.
A source revealed, “All ministries, departments, and agencies have been directed to identify and terminate the appointments of workers employed with certificates obtained from private universities in Benin Republic and Togo from 2017 to date.”
The directive has already been implemented in some agencies, including the NYSC, which confirmed the dismissal of five employees. Caroline Embu, the NYSC Director of Information, said, “Five members of staff were affected by the directive.”
Calls for Private Sector Action
Mamman also urged the private sector to scrutinize employees’ credentials to curb the spread of fake certificates. He emphasized that the government's decision is not punitive but necessary to protect the country's integrity.
This move underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing certificate fraud and ensuring that qualifications used in employment are genuine and credible.
