Cotonou Fake Certificates: Former Minister Reveals Why Nigerians Rush to Benin Republic

• Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, has reacted to the prevalence of fake certificates from universities in the Benin Republic
• Adeniran said Nigerians rush to acquire fake degrees because the country pays attention to paper certificates
• He added these fake certificates that are acquired by paying money undermine the education system.

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5-year-experience covering basic and tertiary education in Nigeria and worldwide

Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, said Nigerians go to acquire fake degrees and certificates in Benin Republic and other neighbouring countries because the country values paper certificates.

Adeniran added that corruption also contributes to the rush to obtain fake degree certificates in those countries.

He stated this during an interview with The Punch on the prevalence of fake certificates from universities in the Benin Republic.

“It is the corruption in Nigeria that those people are keying into because they know that we operate a very corrupt system, so they are just keying into it and taking advantage of the corruption in our country,”

The former minister added that Nigerians are no longer interested in acquiring knowledge and getting educated.

Adeniran said the issue of fake certificates is a tragedy because some of the holders of the fake certificates have penetrated the Nigerian system.

“However, in this country, we seem to be giving a lot of attention to paper certificates. People just come and say, “Okay, what we require is the school certificate.” Once you produce it, that is the end.

“What is required is to pay or whatever it is, and that is undermining the education system.

“This is why we have individuals, so-called graduates, who can hardly construct sentences, and who cannot write a one-paragraph memo. This is why we are not achieving the real type of development we need. These individuals are just coming with papers, and, of course, none of them is officially connected.

Benin fake certificate: I never attended any class, Journalist speaks

Legit.ng earlier reported that a reporter with the Daily Nigerian Newspaper, Umar Shehu Audu, narrated how he secured a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication certificate from the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Audu said he was not issued an admission letter and doesn’t know where the school is located.

Fake Certificate: List of universities in Benin, Togo affected by suspension

No fewer than 45 universities will be affected by the federal government’s decision to suspend evaluation and accreditation for degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.

The ministry of education made the decision following a report that an undercover reporter acquired a degree within six weeks from the Benin Republic. \

Source: Legit.ng