The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to reverse the blanket invalidation of degree certificates obtained in the Republic of Benin and Togo.

This came after the House Committee on Public Petitions approved a report in plenary on Wednesday, March 11.

Laori Kwamoti, chairman of the committee, presented the report, which was based on a petition submitted by Sovereignty Legal Practitioners on behalf of stakeholders in the education sector.

The petition contested the Federal Government’s decision to invalidate degrees earned at institutions in the two West African countries due to concerns about academic fraud.

In its recommendations, the committee urged the government to reverse the blanket ban, noting that the measure could unfairly affect graduates who legitimately obtained their qualifications. 

The lawmakers went on to recommend a case-by-case verification process to address proven cases of fraud rather than imposing a general sanction on all certificates from the two countries. 

The House also called on the Federal Ministry of Education to collaborate with education authorities in Benin and Togo to strengthen verification systems, curb academic fraud and ensure proper authentication of foreign qualifications. 

In January 2024, the Federal Government suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from the Benin Republic and Togo following an undercover investigation that exposed widespread certificate racketeering.