Following cases of fake certification recently detected by the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB), examination boards in Kenya and Uganda are now writing Nigeria to verify records presented by Nigerian candidates seeking admissions into tertiary institutions in their respective countries.
JAMB made this known in a document ‘Registrar’s Report on 2023 Admission and 2024 UTME Policy Meeting’ document made available to newsmen, yesterday.
According to the document, JAMB stressed the need to protect Nigeria’s tertiary institutions from international disrepute, adding that it would not falsify the records of any students.
“Uganda and Kenya examination boards are now writing to JAMB to confirm records presented by candidates for admission of candidates. JAMB would not falsify records,” the Nigerian exam body stated.
Recently, the Federal Government suspended the verification of degree certificates from Uganda, Kenya, Benin Republic, Togo and some other countries over allegations of certificate racketeering.
The Federal Government’s decision comes on the heels of an investigation by Daily Nigeria reporter, Umar Audu on how he obtained a degree within six weeks in Benin Republic.
After his report, the Federal Government set up an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling to probe the activities of certificate racketeers.
At present, JAMB has threatened to sanction higher institutions that fail to submit lists of students admitted immediately after matriculation.
According to JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, the initiative is one of the recommendations made by a committee set up by the Federal Government to combat fake degree racketeering in the country.
