Nigerian students studying in the Benin Republic and Togo have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s recent ban on degree certificates from these countries following an undercover report revealing fraudulent practices in some universities.
In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Benin Republic, Favour Ikenna, described the ban as confusing and detrimental to genuine students.
Ikenna, a final-year Computer Science student at ISCG University in Cotonou, condemned the fraudulent activities but appealed for the ban’s reconsideration.
He stressed that not all Nigerian students or universities in these countries are involved in certificate fraud.
He urged the Nigerian government to thoroughly investigate and screen certificates for authenticity, rather than imposing an outright ban.
Ikenna stated, “It is not all Nigerian students in Benin Republic and Togo who buy certificates and we also believe it can’t be all their universities selling certificates.
“We know for sure that many of us in the two countries are legitimate students and we go through a lot to acquire our certificates. We take our education seriously and spend three to four or more years to earn the certificate depending on our mode of studying either as the regular or direct entry students.”
The ban has particularly affected final-year students preparing for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, potentially delaying their academic and professional progress.
NANS, representing students both at home and abroad, acknowledged the government’s effort to uphold academic integrity but highlighted the negative consequences of the ban on legitimate students.
Senate President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, emphasized the investment of time, effort, and resources by these students in their educational pursuits.
Afeez suggested that certificate assessments should not be limited to just Benin and Togo, and called for the strengthening of Nigerian educational institutions and relevant agencies.
He warned that a blanket suspension of certificates from these countries could harm diplomatic and educational relations between Nigeria and the two countries.
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