When the Federal Government of Nigeria declared degree certificates issued by some universities in Benin Republic and Togo invalid, the dreams of many students were shattered. Ojuede Ojuejo (pseudonym), a 22-year-old resident of Lagos State whose academic future now hangs in the balance, was one of them.

Ojuejo, once a dedicated student at ESTAM University, told EQ that she has been in distress since learning of the government’s declaration. Her greatest fear is confronting her parents with the news that she has wasted two years pursuing a futile goal.

“Many of us at ESTAM are devastated,” Ojuejo told EQ on Monday.

“Returning home without a degree is not only embarrassing but heartbreaking, especially as my peers from secondary school have advanced farther than I have.”

Recalling how she ended up at ESTAM, Ojuejo explained that she came across an advert on Instagram about a 50% scholarship at ESAE, a university in Benin Republic, in November 2022. Although she wasn’t selected, studying in a country without the constant disruption of ASUU strikes attracted her.

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“I spoke to a friend about not being chosen, and she suggested I try ESTAM instead. She gave me the registrar’s number,” Ojuejo recounted.

After contacting the registrar, she submitted her West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE), birth certificate and other documents, and was offered admission.

“I paid N50,000 for the acceptance fee. When I arrived in Benin, they verified my documents and I began classes. It felt like school — just like in Nigeria,” she said.

But her hopes were dashed recently when the Nigerian government announced the ban on several universities, including ESTAM.

“About 90% of us there were Nigerians. Many parents have contacted the school but they claim they’re working on the situation,” she said.

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Ojuejo is now unsure of what to do next. Many of her peers, she said, are considering starting afresh by writing the University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to fulfil their dreams of becoming National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.

“I don’t know what to do yet. My time and money are gone. I’m in my final year, but now I have no choice but to return to Nigeria and start over,” she lamented.

BACKGROUND

In December 2023, an investigation by Daily Nigerian exposed how easily people could acquire fake degrees from universities in Benin Republic and Togo, with these certificates often used for employment and NYSC enrollment.

An undercover journalist with Daily Nigerian obtained a degree in Mass Communication from a Cotonou-based institution without attending classes or exams and even participated in the NYSC programme.

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Following the investigation, the Federal Government suspended the evaluation and accreditation of Benin Republic and Togo degree certificates in January.

In August, the government declared all degree certificates issued by 45 universities in Benin Republic from 2017 onwards invalid. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was instructed to inform public and private employers to identify employees with unrecognised qualifications.

Data from NYSC indicates that between 2019 and 2023, 21,684 individuals obtained fraudulent certificates from Benin Republic, with another 1,105 holding fake degrees from Togo.
The post Nigerian Heartbroken After Returning Home From Banned Benin University Without a Degree appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.