The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to lift the blanket ban on degree certificates obtained from the Republic of Benin and Togo.

The call came after the House Committee on Public Petitions presented and secured adoption of its report during Wednesday’s plenary session.

Chairman of the committee, Laori Kwamoti, explained that the recommendations followed “a petition submitted by Sovereignty Legal Practitioners on behalf of stakeholders in the education sector”.

The petition challenged the government’s decision to nullify degrees from institutions in the two West African countries, a move initially prompted by concerns over academic fraud.

The committee urged the Federal Government to reconsider the blanket invalidation, warning that “the measure could unfairly penalize graduates who legitimately earned their qualifications”.

Instead, the lawmakers recommended implementing a case-by-case verification system to identify and address instances of fraud without punishing all certificate holders.

Additionally, the House called for stronger collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Education and educational authorities in Benin and Togo to enhance verification procedures, curb fraudulent practices, and ensure the proper authentication of foreign qualifications.

The Federal Government had, in January 2024, suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo following an undercover report that revealed widespread certificate racketeering.