Reps ask FG to reverse ban on degrees obtained from Benin Republic and Togo

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to rescind the blanket invalidation of degree certificates obtained from the Republic of Benin and Togo. 

This followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Public Petitions during plenary on Wednesday, March 11. 

Presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Laori Kwamoti, said it was based on a petition submitted by Sovereignty Legal Practitioners on behalf of stakeholders in the education sector. 

The petition challenged the Federal Government’s decision to invalidate degrees obtained from institutions in the two West African countries over concerns about academic fraud. 

In its recommendations, the committee urged the government to reverse the blanket ban, noting that the measure could unfairly affect graduates who legitimately obtained their qualifications. 

The lawmakers went on to recommend a case-by-case verification process to address proven cases of fraud rather than imposing a general sanction on all certificates from the two countries. 

The House also called on the Federal Ministry of Education to collaborate with education authorities in Benin and Togo to strengthen verification systems, curb academic fraud and ensure proper authentication of foreign qualifications. 

In January 2024, the Federal Government suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from the Benin Republic and Togo following an undercover investigation that exposed widespread certificate racketeering.