Abuja | June 20, 2025 The House of Representatives has officially exonerated the Republic of Togo from involvement in the widespread ce...
Abuja | June 20, 2025
The House of Representatives has officially exonerated the Republic of Togo from involvement in the widespread certificate racketeering scandal, shifting its investigative spotlight squarely on the Republic of Benin, where troubling evidence of academic fraud continues to mount.
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Bitrus Laori, made the declaration during a resumed investigative hearing in Abuja. The hearing stemmed from Petition No. 445 of 2024, submitted by Sovereign Legal Practitioners on behalf of prominent education stakeholders. The petition had challenged the Federal Ministry of Education’s blanket 2024 pronouncement implicating both West African nations in certificate fraud.
“The Republic of Togo has been cleared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Laori stated. “The outstanding issue remains with the Republic of Benin.”
New Hearing Date Set for July 10
Due to the absence of the petitioners’ counsel, the committee adjourned the hearing to July 10, 2025, with the session now dedicated exclusively to probing activities within the Benin Republic.
The Federal Ministry of Education, also absent at the sitting, has been compelled by the committee to appear at the next session to explain its controversial 2024 directive mandating pre-qualification exams for foreign degree holders.
“This matter is adjourned to July 10,” Laori ruled. “We are issuing another summons to the Federal Ministry of Education. We need clarifications on the pre-qualification examinations being imposed on graduates from Benin Republic, which is currently affecting hundreds of Nigerian students.”
Background: Benin Certificate Scandal Sparks Reforms
The committee’s intensified focus on Benin Republic follows a high-profile undercover investigation in late 2024, in which a journalist exposed a well-organized certificate-for-sale scheme involving several unaccredited universities in Benin.
The fallout was swift and widespread. The federal government responded with immediate administrative action, leading to the dismissal of dozens of civil servants found to have obtained degrees from questionable institutions in Togo and Benin between 2017 and 2024.
However, with Togo now cleared of wrongdoing, attention is fixed on Benin Republic's education system and its connections with certain Nigerian intermediaries.
Lawmakers Vow Full Accountability
Lawmakers have reiterated their commitment to uncovering all networks involved in academic fraud across the West African region. The investigation aims to restore integrity to Nigeria’s credential recognition system and protect students from falling victim to fraudulent institutions.
The House Committee on Public Petitions is expected to summon additional stakeholders and education regulators as the probe deepens in the coming weeks.
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