A former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, has described the prevalence of fake certificates from foreign universities as a “tragedy” undermining Nigeria’s education system.
In an interview published by Saturday PUNCH, Adeniran said that the obsession over paper qualifications in Nigeria shows deep flaws in societal values.
“We seem to be giving a lot of attention to paper certificates. People just come and say, ‘Okay, what we require is the school certificate.’ Once you produce it, that is the end,” he remarked.
This attitude has resulted in supposed graduates who can barely write, while people with fake foreign certificates get jobs and positions they don’t deserve, the former minister said.
To tackle this, Adeniran said, “Our recruitment processes must be more diligent, careful, and thorough.”
According to him, qualifications should be verified to ensure applicants have the proper skills and training.
The ex-minister who also noted that neighbouring countries can help by respecting Nigeria’s strict standards, however, stressed that “the responsibility lies with Nigerians.”
Adeniran recommended starting with the National Council of Education formulating solutions, reorienting Nigeria’s education leaders to value learning over papers, and educating society that national development depends on proper education.
He also called for enhancing the skills and motivation of inspectors verifying qualifications.
During his tenure, Adeniran said he prioritised visitation panels to ensure quality control at universities.
The former minister reiterated, “We must take education more seriously rather than obsessing over worthless foreign certificates.
“More robust laws with harsh penalties for fakes are needed.”
Adeniran noted that while he envisions that technology could help detect fraudulent certificates, beyond that, acting decisively on findings is crucial.
He said, “It is not just about finding out; to find out, yes, technology can be very useful.”
