A coalition of education stakeholders from universities in Benin and Togo has refuted the Nigerian government’s claim that only five universities in Benin and three in Togo are legitimate, while others are operating illegally. The coalition described this claim as completely false.
The group, named the “Coalition of Stakeholders in Education (CSE) in Benin and Togo Republics,” comprises lecturers, students, alumni, school owners, and parents/guardians, among others. They debunked the government’s claim at a news conference held in Lagos on Tuesday.
The coalition pointed out that Benin Republic alone has no fewer than 103 accredited universities (comprising eight public and 95 privately owned institutions) that are recognized by the host country. Similarly, Togo has over 40 recognized universities.
They noted that the list of all accredited universities in both countries is publicly available on the websites of their respective Ministries of Education and Scientific Research.
These lists were also provided to Nigeria’s inter-ministerial committee that visited Benin earlier this year.
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The coalition questioned why Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, would now provide incorrect information about the true state of university education in both countries.
Recall that the Nigerian government, through the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, recently announced the invalidation of degree certificates from almost all universities in Benin and Togo from the 2007 cohort to date.
This decision was based on the recommendation of a committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate degree certificate racketeering by Nigerian students in the two Francophone countries.
The decision, if implemented, will affect all Nigerian graduates from the last seven years who obtained their degrees from these countries.
Their certificates, which are currently being used for employment in both public and private sectors in Nigeria, would be invalidated, leading to potential job losses.
Addressing journalists in Lagos, the President of Nigerian Lecturers in Benin, Gabriel Kona, who is also the coalition’s lead, clarified that the coalition is not opposing the Nigerian government’s efforts to sanitize the education system in Benin, Togo, and Nigeria.
However, he stressed that innocent individuals should not be punished. He insisted that the quality of university education in Benin and Togo is comparable to that in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
He also expressed surprise that the Nigerian government has not made public the details of its findings on the alleged certificate scam.
Kona argued that making the findings public would help stakeholders identify the implicated institutions and officials and apply appropriate punishments, rather than penalizing all Nigerians with degrees from those countries.
He described the Federal Government’s pronouncement on the matter as unjustifiable, noting that the majority are now suffering for the actions of a negligible few.
“As we speak, parents, students, and alumni members of these affected universities, who are of Nigerian descent, are agonizing and confused about their fate,” he said.
Kona vouched for Nigerians holding degrees from Benin and Togo, asserting that they obtained their certificates legally and are excelling in their various endeavors.
He called on the Federal Government, especially President Bola Tinubu, to review the matter and revoke the ban in the interest of fairness and equity.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Abiola Daramola, a representative of parents/guardians of Nigerian students in Benin, expressed surprise at the Federal Ministry of Education’s stance.
He pointed out that the same ministry had provided them with a list of approved universities in Benin and Togo when their children were seeking admission and had evaluated their certificates upon completion of their courses for a fee.
He urged the government to reverse its decision and revalidate the banned certificates.
Daramola emphasized that the issue is not just about the financial investment in their children’s education, but also about the effort, energy, risk, and time committed to their studies in a foreign land.
Some of the affected students and alumni, including Silas Jimi, who studied Computer Science at Estan University, Cotonou, expressed their displeasure with the development, stating that they are now confused about their future.
They explained that they studied in Benin and Togo legally and spent the required number of years to earn their certificates.
They appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider its stance on their certificates.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE