The National Universities Commission (NUC) says it has closed down the campuses of 18 foreign universities operating in Nigeria following reports of fake degrees churned out by them.
It described them as degree mills and warned Nigerians not to enroll in such institutions.
The institutions affected are five from the United States, six from the United Kingdom, and three from Ghana.
Announcing the ban and closure in a statement published on its website, the NUC clarified that the Federal Government had not licensed the affected universities and they had been closed down for operating illegally.
“The National Universities Commission wishes to announce to the general public, especially parents and prospective undergraduates that the under-listed “degree mills” have not been licensed by the Federal Government and have therefore been closed down for violating the Education (National Minimum Standards, etc.) Act of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“The affected schools are the University of Applied Sciences & Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin, or any of its other campuses in Nigeria; Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana, or any of its other campuses in Nigeria; the International University, Missouri, USA, Kano, and Lagos Study Centres, or any of its campuses in Nigeria and the Columbus University, United Kingdom operating anywhere in Nigeria.
“The list also included Tiu International University, UK; Pebbles University, UK, operating anywhere in Nigeria; London External Studies UK operating anywhere in Nigeria; Pilgrims University operating anywhere in Nigeria; West African Christian University operating anywhere in Nigeria; EC-Council University, USA, Ikeja, Lagos Study Centre and Concept College/Universities (London) Ilorin or any of its campuses in Nigeria.
“Others are Houdegbe North American University campuses in Nigeria; Irish University Business School London, operating anywhere in Nigeria; University of Education, Winneba Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria; Cape Coast University, Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria; African University Cooperative Development, Cotonou, Benin Republic, operating anywhere in Nigeria; Pacific Western University, Denver, Colorado, Owerri Study Centre and Evangel University of America & Chudick Management Academic, Lagos,” the NUC said.
Persecondnews had reported that the Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday announced the suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Republic of Benin and Togo.
This followed an undercover investigative report titled, ‘How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks,’ published by the Daily Nigerian newspaper.
The report exposed how some officials of the Beninese University produced fake university degrees for a fee.
The investigative reporter, Umar Audu, bagged a degree from the institution within six weeks and also participated in the mandatory one-year scheme of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Audu had reached out to the syndicate that specialises in selling degree certificates in December 2022, graduated in February 2023 and was issued a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication certificate from the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, Cotonou, Benin Republic.
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