A major and recurring irritation in the Nigerian education sector is the emergence of fake universities.
Nigeria currently has 210 universities, 50 owned by federal, 111 are private and 59 state universities.
Sadly, the large number of public and private universities in Nigeria has not made for easy access to tertiary education due to the universities’ low enrollment and infrastructure capacity for students, while fake institutions continue to grow across different parts of the country.
Most of these institutions claim affiliation to established universities in other African countries and other parts of the world.
Last week, the National Universities Commission identified at least 58 illegal universities or satellite campuses operating in Nigeria, warning that certificates obtained from these institutions will not be recognised for the purposes of compulsory one-year national youth service, employment, and further studies.
Acting executive secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki, who disclosed this on Wednesday, said that some arrests have been made in connection with the fake institutions.
Maiyaki said the Department of State Services was involved in the clampdown on the illegal institutions and their promoters.
The NUC secretary urged parents and guardians to check the commission’s website for legal and illegal universities in Nigeria so that their children and wards don’t fall victims.
The revelations followed the suspension of degree certificates from two francophone West African countries and other countries after an undercover journalist detailed how he acquired a degree from a university in the neighbouring Benin Republic less than two months later and was subsequently deployed for the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Maiyaki said that in addition to their closure, other nine institutions/campuses, which he described as “Degree Mills”, were undergoing further investigations and/or ongoing court actions.
He noted that the purpose of the actions was to prosecute the proprietors and recover illegal fees and charges on subscribers.
“The operation of illegal universities has thrived principally because of weak law enforcement, bringing the entire system into disrepute.”
They include; National University of Nigeria, Keffi, Nasarawa State; North Central University, Otukpo, Benue State; Christ Alive Christian Seminary and University, Enugu; Richmond Open University, Arochukwu, Abia State; West Coast University, Umuahia, Abia State; Saint Clements University, lyin Ekiti, Ekiti State; Volta University College, Aba, Abia State; Illegal Satellite Campuses of Ambrose Alli University, and L.I.F.E Leadership University, Benin City, Edo State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, anybody who patronises or obtains any certificate from any of these illegal institutions does so at his or her own risk.
“Certificates obtained from these sources will not be recognised for the purposes of NYSC, employment, and further studies,” Maiyaki warned.
Desperate to acquire degrees, many secondary school leavers – and their parents – are falling headlong into the trap of fraudsters operating illegal universities in Nigeria.
Many unregistered or unapproved universities are operating, with their fraudulent insignia dotting virtually every part of the country.
With university admission hard to achieve, many prospective undergraduates apply to these counterfeit schools.
Their tempting unique selling point is to advertise their “affiliation” to universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries in Europe.
This entices the applicants, who hastily enroll in the schools. In some cases, their parents and guardians encourage them to take the plunge, believing that they can somehow sidestep the problem in the future.
The operation of illegal universities has thrived principally because of weak law enforcement, bringing the entire system into disrepute.
Having enrolled in these institutions, many students have had their academic careers in tatters.
The pertinent question at this point is why Nigerians are seeking to study in these fake institutions. One factor is that many youths are closed out from tertiary education.
Nigeria currently has 210 universities, 50 owned by Federal, 111 are private and 59 state universities.
Combined, their carrying capacity is an average of 500,000, while an estimated 1.5 million candidates apply for admission annually. This imposes enormous pressure on the system. Because of their desperation, many candidates are willing to forego the substance, integrity and legality of what the approved universities stand for.
Additionally, because of woeful facilities and shortage of lecturers, some of the 210 universities have had the accreditation of some of their courses withdrawn by the NUC. Thus, students graduate from these approved universities with problematic degrees. At a time, the NUC was confronted with the proliferation of illegal satellite campuses.
Students and their guardians should stop being deceived by these unscrupulous manipulators.
In an age of information technology, in which every reputable institution can be accessed at the touch of a button, every candidate should be careful not to be fleeced.
Before applying to any university, polytechnic or college of education, applicants should vet the authenticity of such institutions through the websites of the NUC, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and other regulators’ websites. Undertaking this painstaking exercise will save them regret in the future.
To stamp out these dubious institutions, the NUC and public agencies like the National Orientation Agency should periodically sensitise the public to their existence, how to identify them and the importance of attending only approved institutions.
The list of fake, unapproved and unregistered institutions should be published regularly to warn prospective victims that certificates or degrees issued by them are nothing but a piece of paper. Concerned state authorities should also take appropriate actions against them.
The era of attending a university for its sake is perhaps gone forever. In a competitive world, productive knowledge is now paramount. For Nigeria’s tertiary education not to be completely left behind, the NUC should act quickly and save the system from destroying itself and the students being trapped.
All federal, state and private tertiary institutions should pass through stringent accreditation tests before being granted operating licenses.
However, this predicament is about crime and punishment. Apart from shutting down these illegal schools, the NUC should tackle the rot by commencing the prosecution of owners or operators of such schools.
It is highly likely that the prosecution of these offenders could have deterred those who consistently engage in the misconduct.
