DESPERATE to acquire degrees, many secondary school leavers – and their parents – are falling headlong into the trap of fraudsters operating illegal universities in Nigeria. According to the National Universities Commission – the regulator of university education in Nigeria – scores of illegal tertiary institutions have just been belatedly shut down across the country. At that point, thousands of applicants would have been swindled. In partnership with the security agencies, the NUC should save these student-victims by rooting out these illegal schools.
In all, the NUC states that 58 unregistered or unapproved universities are operating, with their fraudulent insignia dotting virtually every part of the country. With university admission hard to achieve, many prospective undergraduates apply to these counterfeit schools. Their tempting unique selling point is to advertise their “affiliation” to universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries in Europe. This entices the applicants, who rashly enrol in the schools. In some cases, their parents and guardians encourage them to take the plunge, believing that they can somehow sidestep the problem in the future. How wrong they are.
The operation of illegal universities has thrived principally because of weak law enforcement, bringing the entire system into disrepute. In a 2013 newsletter, the NUC cautioned applicants and the public that there were “44 unapproved universities” in the country. In spite of this, the sham did not wane. Two years after, the regulator warned again that it had closed down 57 black-market universities. In 2016, it also discovered 37 universities running illegal operations. This is deplorable.
Having enrolled in these institutions, many students have had their academic careers in tatters. “For the avoidance of doubt, anyone who patronises or obtains certificates from any of these illegal institutions does so at his or her own risk,” the NUC Executive Secretary, Abubakar Rasheed, warned earlier in December. “Certificates obtained from these sources will not be recognised for the purposes of the National Youth Service Corps, employment and for further studies.” This leaves the victims empty-handed and rightly so.
The pertinent question at this point is why Nigerians are seeking to study in these fake institutions. One factor is that many youths are closed out from tertiary education. Currently, Nigeria has 165 universities – 43 owned by the Federal Government; 47 by state governments and 75 owned by private organisations and individuals – says the NUC. Combined, their carrying capacity is an average of 500,000, while an estimated 1.5 million candidates apply for admission annually. This imposes enormous pressure on the system. Because of their desperation, many candidates are willing to forego the substance, integrity and legality of what the approved universities stand for.
Additionally, because of woeful facilities and shortage of lecturers, some of the 165 universities have had the accreditation of some of their courses withdrawn by the NUC. Thus, students graduate from these approved universities with problematic degrees. At a time, the NUC was confronted with the proliferation of illegal satellite campuses.
Students and their guardians should stop being deceived by these unscrupulous manipulators. In an age of information technology, in which every reputable institution can be accessed at the touch of a button, every candidate should be careful not to be fleeced. Before applying to any university, polytechnic or college of education, applicants should vet the authenticity of institutions through the websites of the NUC, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and other regulators’ websites. Undertaking this painstaking exercise will save them the regret in the future.
To stamp out these dubious institutions, the NUC and public agencies like the National Orientation Agency should periodically sensitise the public to their existence, how to identify them and the importance of attending only approved institutions. The list of fake, unapproved and unregistered institutions should be published regularly to warn prospective victims that certificates or degrees issued by them are nothing but a piece of paper. Concerned state authorities should also take appropriate actions against them.
The era of attending a university for its sake is perhaps gone forever. In a competitive world, productive knowledge is now paramount. For Nigeria’s tertiary education not to be completely left behind, the NUC should act quickly and save the system from destroying itself and the students being trapped. All federal, state and private tertiary institutions should pass through stringent accreditation tests before being granted operating licences.
However, this predicament is about crime and punishment. Apart from shutting down these illegal schools, the NUC should tackle the rot by commencing the prosecution of owners or operators of such schools. It is highly likely that the prosecution of these offenders could have deterred those who consistently engage in the misconduct.
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