The Federal Government has placed a ban on 18 foreign universities operating in Nigeria, describing them as “degree mills,’’ and warned Nigerians to avoid enrolling in such institutions.
The directive affected five universities from the United States, six from the United Kingdom, and three Ghanaian tertiary institutions.
Announcing the ban in a statement published on its website, the National Universities Commission (NUC) explained that the Federal Government had not licensed the affected universities and they had been closed down.
The affected schools are the University of Applied Sciences & Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin, or any of its other campuses in Nigeria; Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana, or any of its other campuses in Nigeria; the International University, Missouri, USA, Kano, and Lagos Study Centres, or any of its campuses in Nigeria and the Collumbus University, United Kingdom operating anywhere in Nigeria.
The list also included Tiu International University, UK; Pebbles University, UK, operating anywhere in Nigeria; London External Studies UK operating anywhere in Nigeria; Pilgrims University operating anywhere in Nigeria; West African Christian University operating anywhere in Nigeria; EC-Council University, USA, Ikeja, Lagos Study Centre and Concept College/Universities (London) Ilorin or any of its campuses in Nigeria.
Others are Houdegbe North American University campuses in Nigeria; Irish University Business School London, operating anywhere in Nigeria; University of Education, Winneba Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria; Cape Coast University, Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria; African University Cooperative Development, Cotonou, Benin Republic, operating anywhere in Nigeria; Pacific Western University, Denver, Colorado, Owerri Study Centre and Evangel University of America & Chudick Management Academic, Lagos.
The bans are not unconnected to the fallout of an investigative report which ridiculed tertiary certificates being peddled in the country, prompting the Federal Government to suspend the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.
a statement on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 signed by Augustina Obilor-Duru on behalf of the Director Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, said the decision followed an investigative report by Daily Nigerian Newspaper titled “UNDERCOVER: How DAILY NIGERIAN reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks” published last week.
