Examination boards in Kenya and Uganda have begun reaching out to Nigeria for verification of records submitted by Nigerian students seeking admission into their tertiary institutions.
According to The PUNCH, this was disclosed by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in a document prepared for the 2024 policy meeting.
JAMB emphasized in the document that it would maintain the integrity of student records, making it clear that it would not falsify any data.
The exam body underscored the importance of safeguarding the reputation of Nigeria’s tertiary education system from any form of disrepute.
This development is closely linked to the Nigerian Federal Government’s recent suspension of the verification of degree certificates from several countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Benin Republic, and Togo.
The suspension arose from growing concerns about widespread certificate racketeering.
In March, the Federal Government responded to these concerns by establishing an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling.
The committee’s formation followed an investigative report by ‘Daily Nigerian’, which revealed the alarming activities of fake degree mills in the Benin Republic.
In a startling exposé, Daily Nigerian reporter, Umar Audu, managed to obtain a degree in just six weeks, even going so far as to participate in Nigeria’s mandatory National Youth Service Corps program with the fraudulent credential.
The investigation’s findings led the Nigerian government to impose a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from both the Benin Republic and Togo.
Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, who received the committee’s report, pledged to purge the system of individuals holding fake degrees from both domestic and foreign institutions.
Among the committee’s key recommendations was the insistence that Nigerian universities conduct their admissions processes through the Central Admissions Processing System and that they submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education as a mandatory requirement.
In a document on Tuesday, it was further highlighted that Kenyan and Ugandan examination boards are now proactively seeking verification from Nigeria, writing to JAMB to confirm the authenticity of records submitted by Nigerian students pursuing education in their countries.
The Nigerian exam body, JAMB, reiterated its commitment to upholding the integrity of its records, stating, “Uganda and Kenya examination boards are now writing to JAMB to confirm records presented by candidates for admission of candidates. JAMB would not falsify record.”
On Monday, The PUNCH exclusively reported that the Federal Government had mandated all higher education institutions in Nigeria to regularly submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education within three months of their matriculation ceremonies.
This directive is intended to combat the proliferation of fake degrees, as recommended by the Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling.
The submission of these lists is to be done through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s dedicated channel, reflecting the government’s concerted effort to crack down on degree mills and ensure the credibility of Nigeria’s higher education system.
