Federal government takes action against 18 foreign universities for issuing questionable certificates.
The Nigerian government, through the National Universities Commission (NUC), has imposed a ban on three Ghanaian universities and 15 other foreign institutions for allegedly operating as “degree mills” and issuing questionable certificates. The affected Ghanaian universities are the University of Education, Winneba, University of Cape Coast, and Volta University College, Ho.
The NUC, in an official statement, revealed that the banned universities lacked the necessary licensing from the Federal Government and were shut down for violating the Education (National Minimum Standards, etc.) Act of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. The move is part of the government’s response to an investigative report exposing fraudulent practices in the awarding of degrees by universities in Benin and Togo.
The investigative report highlighted a certificate racketeering syndicate where university degrees were being sold to buyers in Nigeria. The government’s ban extends to five universities from the United States, six from the United Kingdom, and others in neighbouring countries like Togo and Benin.
Below are the 18 universities affected by the Nigerian government’s ban:
- University of Applied Sciences and Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin.
- Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana.
- The International University, Missouri, USA, with study centers in Kano and Lagos.
- Columbus University, UK.
- Tiu International University, UK.
- Pebbles University, UK.
- London External Studies UK.
- Pilgrims University.
- West African Christian University.
- EC-Council University, USA, Ikeja Lagos Study Centre.
- Concept College/Universities (London), Ilorin.
- Houdegbe North American University.
- Irish University Business School London.
- University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.
- Cape Coast University, Ghana.
- African University Cooperative Development, Cotonou, Benin Republic.
- Pacific Western University, Denver, Colorado, Owerri Study Centre.
- Evangel University of America and Chudick Management Academic, Lagos.