Education

FG probes 107 private universities over fake degrees

The Federal Government has commenced the probe of private universities established in the last 15 years.

The move was made following an investigative report by Daily Nigerian journalist, Umar Audu, uncovering certificate racketeering in Benin Republic and Togo.

It was gathered that no fewer than 107 private universities were established in the last 15 years.

The Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling set up by the Federal Government would be examining “whether or not private universities established in the last 15 years have in place prescribed facilities, appropriate management structure, adequate funding of programmes, requisite state, and nature of the staff – full-time, contract, adjunct, visiting and other types.”

The committee, in an advertorial noted that the probe was “without prejudice to the periodic accreditation exercise of the National Universities Commission.”

“Memoranda from the general public are, therefore, solicited to provide information to the committee to help it make appropriate recommendations to address the menace in line with its terms of reference,” the committee said.

In December 2023, undercover journalist, Umar Audu obtained a degree within six weeks from Benin Republic and even took part in the mandatory youth service under the National Youth Service Corps scheme in Nigeria.

Reacting to the scandal, the Federal Government announced plans to launch an investigation into private universities established in the last 15 years.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made this known in Abuja while inaugurating the Inter-Ministerial Committee on fake degrees and activities of degree mills in the country.

The Committee Chairman, Jibrila Amin, noted that the inter-ministerial committee would “Review the role of any MDA or its officials (including identifying such officials) in the facilitation of the recognition and procurement of the fake certificate in question.”

The committee will also”examine the rules, procedures and processes for recognition and accreditation of foreign universities and programmes by the Federal Ministry of Education; Establish if unapproved foreign institutions (Degree Mills) exist or not in Nigeria in whatever form with their identities and locations if any.”

It is expected to “make appropriate recommendations for review of any rules, procedures, and processes to prevent re-occurrence and sanctions for identified erring officials.

“Make other recommendations that will strengthen the system of recognition, accreditations and quality assurance of degrees in Nigeria and examine the extant rules, procedures and processes for granting provisional licenses to new universities by the National Universities Commission.”

Education

Oborevwori grants employment to DELSU’s best graduating student

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has awarded an automatic employment to Joshua Ilebe, the top-performing student of Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka.

Ilebe, who graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.83, received the employment approval during the university’s 16th Convocation Ceremony for the 2022/2023 academic session held on Saturday.

Governor Oborevwori, who serves as the Visitor of the university, granted this recognition in acknowledgment of Ilebe’s outstanding academic achievement.

He challenged the graduating students of the university to imbibe the entrepreneurial approach to life rather than seeking white-collar jobs.

Oborevwori, who congratulated the graduands for being found worthy in learning and character to earn their various degrees, charged them to influence society with the knowledge garnered, positively.

“As you launch out into the world today, it is my earnest expectation that you will put to good use the academic knowledge and life lessons you have garnered during your sojourn here

Education

Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as chairman Nigeria Education Loan fund

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Jim Ovia, CFR, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

Mr. Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.

He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.

The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.

The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds and of ensuring that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.

Education

UTME: JAMB arrests father writing exams for son

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, said it arrested a father writing exams for his son during the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

The board warned that it has improved its technology check for those engaging in all forms of examination malpractices.

Speaking in Kaduna on Wednesday, the JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede who inspected the UTME centres in Kaduna, expressed satisfaction over the 2024 examination, which had 1.94 million students this year.

He, however, frowned at few cases of impersonation, adding that some people now have multiple National Identity Number, NIN, which the examination body would take up with the Identification Management body.

“For those who engage in cheating, they should know that it does not pay. The technology is helping us to check that. Across the country, most of the problem we have is impersonation. For instance now, we say we have NIN, we now have cases of people with two NIN and therefore, that has defeated the purpose of identity verification. We are going to take that up with NIMC, that there are people who have two NIN.

“We have a case of a father impersonating his son, writing examination for the son and I wonder, are you not destroying your son’s future? Of course, two of them are now in custody. I can’t understand what the father will now tell his son when they are both locked up in the same cell. This happened definitely not in Kaduna, but I don’t want to disclose the state,” he said.

He said JAMB needs support of highly populated states like Lagos, to build mega CBT centres like that of Kaduna, which accommodates 4,000 candidates per day.

He expressed hope that the authorities in Lagos would provide a suitable land for JAMB to build the Mega CBT centre in the city.