The House of Representatives has officially cleared the Republic of Togo of any role in the ongoing fake degree scandal that has rocked West Africa, turning its full attention to the Republic of Benin where a troubling web of certificate fraud has been uncovered.
This came during a hearing in Abuja, triggered by a petition filed by Sovereign Legal Practitioners on behalf of education stakeholders, challenging a previous declaration by Nigeria’s Ministry of Education that implicated both countries.
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Bitrus Laori, revealed that findings from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirm Togo’s educational system is not involved in any certificate-for-sale operations.
With Togo’s name cleared, the focus is now squarely on the Republic of Benin, where a journalist’s undercover investigation in late 2024 exposed a booming black market in academic degrees.
The scandal, which shocked the nation, led to the dismissal of several civil servants who had obtained unapproved degrees from private institutions in Benin.
During the hearing, Laori criticised the Federal Ministry of Education for failing to attend the session, speaking of its input as many Nigerian students continue to suffer under a controversial pre-qualification exam policy imposed on foreign degree holders.
The ministry has now been summoned again to appear on July 10, when the next hearing will take place.
As the investigation deepens, lawmakers have promised to dismantle the entire network of academic fraud that threatens the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.
