In a move to combat degree fraud, the Federal Government has ordered all higher education institutions to submit their admission lists promptly after matriculation or face sanctions.
This directive comes in the wake of recent exposés revealing widespread certificate racketeering, particularly involving foreign institutions.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) issued a memo titled “CLARIFICATION ON DISCLOSURE OF ADMITTED CANDIDATES OUTSIDE CAPS (2017-DATE),” outlining the new requirements.
Fabian Benjamin, JAMB‘s Public Communications Advisor, explained that this initiative stems from recommendations made by a government-appointed committee tasked with addressing fake degree racketeering.
“The Board has observed a large number of candidates thronging its offices to resolve issues related to the disclosure of candidates admitted outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) from 2017 to date,” the memo stated.
It emphasized that institutions, not individual candidates, are the focus of this directive.
The memo set a deadline of August 31, 2024, for institutions to disclose all candidates admitted outside CAPS, warning of “severe consequences” for non-compliance. JAMB also cautioned students against accepting admissions outside the CAPS system.
The Explainer gathered that this regulation follows an investigative report by the Daily Nigerian, which exposed fake degree mills in the Benin Republic.
In response, the Federal Government established an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling to probe these activities.
The Ministry of Education, in a separate memo to JAMB dated July 15, 2024, outlined additional measures:
“Enforce the mandatory requirement for all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to exclusively conduct their admissions processes through the Central Admissions Processing System under the auspices of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board,” the memo directed.
The ministry also mandated that institutions submit matriculation lists within three months of ceremonies through JAMB’s dedicated channel.
The urgency of these measures is underscored by recent events. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recently demobilized 54 corps members illegally mobilized by the University of Calabar, adding to 101 certificates previously voided.
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These actions follow an undercover investigation by Daily Nigerian reporter Umar Audu, who obtained a degree within six weeks and subsequently participated in the NYSC program.
This revelation led to the government banning the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.
Education Minister Tahir Mamman has vowed to “flush out holders of fake degrees from the Nigerian educational system.”
As the August 31 deadline draws near, institutions across Nigeria are under pressure to comply with the new regulations.
