Nigeria’s House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to abandon its blanket invalidation of degree certificates from the Republic of Benin, calling instead for a targeted case-by-case verification system that protects graduates who earned their qualifications legitimately.
The resolution, adopted during plenary on Wednesday, March 11, followed a report presented by the House Committee on Public Petitions chairman, Bitrus Kwamoti Laori, based on a petition filed by Sovereignty Legal Practitioners on behalf of education sector stakeholders.
The controversy dates to January 2024, when the Federal Government suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from both Benin Republic and Togo after an undercover investigation revealed that a journalist had obtained a university degree from an institution in Benin Republic in under two months and subsequently participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
The blanket ban has since been partially unwound. The Republic of Togo and its educational institutions were officially exonerated by the committee following a review of diplomatic findings, with degrees from its accredited institutions now recognised once more. The outstanding dispute therefore centres specifically on institutions in Benin Republic.
In its recommendations, the House called on the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) to replace the sweeping restriction with a structured verification mechanism. The lower chamber also suggested that the FME, working through the Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency, should run public awareness campaigns to guide Nigerians on verifying the accreditation status of foreign institutions and obtaining homologation or equivalence certification where applicable.
Lawmakers further urged the government to ensure future policies on foreign academic qualifications align with Nigeria’s bilateral, regional, and international treaty obligations.
Thousands of Nigerian graduates have been left stranded, unemployed, and stigmatised since the ban took effect, with many unable to proceed with employment, postgraduate applications, or professional certifications while their qualifications remained in legal limbo.
The Federal Government has not yet responded publicly to the House resolution.
