Amid rising concerns over job security, some federal civil servants were left anxious after reports emerged suggesting that the government had started purging workers who obtained degrees from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic and Togo.
The anxiety was fueled by a post from former Senator Shehu Sani, who claimed that a large number of civil servants with degrees from these countries had been dismissed.
In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Sani said, “Thousands of Nigerians who graduated from universities in Benin Republic, secured jobs, married, and had children are now the hardest hit by this mass sacking. I appeal to the government to reconsider this decision and provide a pathway for them to upgrade their degrees through Nigeria’s open university system.”
However, the Federal Civil Service Commission quickly refuted the claims of widespread dismissals.
In a statement, Taiwo Hassan, the Head of Press and Media Relations, clarified that the Commission had not implemented any mass sackings and had not received formal recommendations for such actions.
“There has been no disengagement as of now. Any recommendation for action would have to come through official channels before we can consider it.”
The Commission also reiterated its constitutional role in handling personnel matters, asserting, “the Civil Service Commission has the authority to hire, transfer, discipline, and promote civil servants. But as of now, no one has been dismissed for the reasons being speculated.”
Earlier this year, a panel set up by the former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, investigated degree mills operating in neighboring countries, including Benin Republic and Togo.
The panel, led by Prof. Jubril Aminu, reported that over 22,000 fraudulent certificates were obtained by Nigerians from unaccredited institutions in these countries between 2019 and 2023.
Commenting on the findings, Prof. Mamman noted, “The actual number could be higher, as many individuals involved did not participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or other necessary procedures that could have flagged their actions. These people have used fake degrees to secure government and private sector jobs, presenting themselves as having studied abroad while others who worked hard and earned legitimate degrees are still jobless.”
He further criticized the legitimacy of these institutions, explaining that many were not accredited in Benin and Togo either, and some of the individuals never even attended classes at these universities.
Mamman added that a circular from the Office of the Head of Service had been prepared to facilitate the identification and prosecution of those involved in the fraudulent activities.
While the government has yet to take action against those implicated, the claims have added fuel to an ongoing debate about the legitimacy of foreign degrees and their impact on the Nigerian job market.
