Following recent discoveries of fake certificates submitted by some Nigerian candidates, the examination boards of Kenya and Uganda have officially contacted the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) to verify the authenticity of academic records presented by students seeking admission into their tertiary institutions.
JAMB disclosed this in a document titled ‘Registrar’s Report on 2023 Admission & 2024 UTME Policy Meeting’ obtained by newsmen on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.
In the report, JAMB emphasized the importance of protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary education system. “JAMB would not falsify records,” the document stated, reflecting the board’s firm stance against academic fraud.
This development comes after the Federal Government’s recent suspension of degree certificate verifications from several countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Benin Republic, and Togo, due to widespread allegations of certificate racketeering. The decision to suspend verifications followed an investigative report by a Daily Nigeria journalist, Umar Audu, who revealed how he obtained a degree in the Benin Republic within just six weeks.
The Federal Government subsequently formed an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling to address the issue of fake degrees. One of the recommendations from the committee, now approved by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, mandates all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education no later than three months after matriculation ceremonies. These lists must be channeled through JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
Addressing the severity of the situation, JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, reiterated the board’s commitment to eliminating fake degrees. “The Board will not tolerate any condonement of undisclosed admissions moving forward,” Benjamin warned, urging institutions to comply with the August 31st, 2024 deadline for disclosing all admissions processed outside of CAPS.
This initiative is part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to combat academic fraud and maintain the credibility of Nigeria’s education system. The Minister of Education has vowed to “flush out holders of fake degrees from the Nigerian educational system,” ensuring that the country’s academic reputation is upheld both domestically and internationally.
