The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Education, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and several other high-ranking officials to appear before its joint committee over allegations of widespread certificate racketeering in Nigeria.
According to a statement released on Saturday by the Chairman of the House joint Committee, Abubakar Hassan Fulata, the investigative public hearing is scheduled for Monday, May 19, 2025.
Other officials summoned include the Ministers of Youth Development and Interior, as well as the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The Committee has also invited representatives from the Committee of Vice Chancellors, National Universities Commission (NUC), Penlight Media Ltd, and the Ministry of Higher and Science Education, Republic of Benin.
Fulata emphasized that any official who fails to appear before the committee "will be considered as one of those encouraging corruption and certificate racketeering in the education sector."
The parliamentary investigation was prompted by an undercover journalist's exposé that revealed how easily academic credentials could be fraudulently obtained. The journalist reportedly acquired a degree from a university in Cotonou, Benin Republic within weeks and subsequently participated in the NYSC scheme in record time.
"This unfortunate development in the education system is indeed alarming," Fulata stated. "It is even more worrisome that while most Nigerians undergo the process of acquiring educational qualifications following the laid down processes and procedures, others sneak underneath to illicitly acquire their certificates with which they obtain jobs and operate in different fields of human endeavours in this country."
The lawmaker described the practice as "not only illegal but very dangerous to our collective wellbeing, future and the socio-economic development of the country as whole."
The committee revealed that several key institutions have yet to respond to their earlier requests for information. These include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the Nigerian Immigration Service. Additionally, 52 Federal Universities, 61 state universities, and 93 private universities have not submitted the requested documentation.
The House of Representatives' intervention signals growing concern over the integrity of academic credentials in Nigeria, a country where educational qualifications play a crucial role in employment opportunities and professional advancement.
