Francophone nations profit from issuing fake certificates to Nigerians, says Former NUC Secretary

Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf, former NUC Secretary, accused Francophone West African nations of benefiting from offering dubious degrees to Nigerians amid the suspension of accreditation for degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.

He emphasized the impact on African mobility programmes, stating, “Many of these francophone countries have benefited so much from the dubious degrees they give to Nigerians…Africa cannot achieve the same level of mobility that people enjoy in Europe.”

Ramon-Yusuf who appeared as a guest on Channels Politics Today programme on Tuesday, was reacting to the decision of the Federal Government to stop recognising degree certificates from these countries following an investigation conducted by a Nigerian investigative journalist

He accused these countries of allowing corruption to hinder the mutual recognition of certificates in Africa.

He argued that Nigerians acquiring questionable certificates from francophone nations aren’t victims but “clear-headed crooks,” suggesting they opted for these degrees due to difficulties gaining admission to Nigerian universities.

Ramon-Yusuf stressed, “So they go shopping for these bogus institutions where they get their bogus qualifications from.”

Concerning the suspension, he urged further action, stating, “We need to do more than that because this is not the first time this matter is coming to the fore.”

Ramon-Yusuf emphasised the necessity of involving NUC in the government committee addressing the issue, citing its statutory role in assuring the quality of university education in Nigeria.