Former Nigerian senator and activist Shehu Sani has revealed that the Nigerian government has dismissed federal employees holding degrees obtained from universities in the Republic of Benin. The revelation was made on Monday through a statement on Sani’s official account on X (formerly Twitter).
Expressing his disappointment and disbelief, Sani wrote, “So sad to read the termination letters of some of the FG staff who graduated from the universities in Benin Republic.” The former lawmaker did not elaborate on the government’s rationale for the dismissals.
Earlier this year, concerns were raised about the authenticity and quality of degrees issued by universities in the neighboring country.
Nigerian journalist Umar Audu disclosed that he was able to acquire a degree from a Benin Republic university for N600,000 without undergoing any significant academic process. The exposé raised alarms about the integrity of degrees awarded by some institutions in the country, which brought about arguments concerning their credibility.
In response to these revelations, the Nigerian government had previously announced a suspension of recognition for degrees from certain foreign universities, including some in the Republic of Benin.
The Nigerian government had earlier blacklisted 18 foreign universities, citing issues related to substandard academic practices and the increase of fake certificates.
