The House of Representatives Joint Committee on Tertiary Education, chaired by Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata from Birniwa/Guri/Kirikasamma Federal Constituency, Jigawa State, visited Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) to investigate allegations of certificate racketeering, false degrees, and academic malpractices in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
Members emphasised it is a fact‐finding mission designed to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen the system and not a witch‐hunt mission.
The visit, which brought together committee members, YABATECH management, and officials from the National Board for Technical Education, was part of a national investigation aimed at restoring credibility to Nigeria’s education system.
Fulata opened the hearing by recounting reports of individuals acquiring university degrees from foreign institutions, notably Republic of Benin, within extraordinarily short timeframes without attending lectures or examinations.
He highlighted the case of an investigative story by a journalist on Umar Audu, who acquired a degree certificate in six weeks, had it authenticated by Nigeria’s Ministry of Education, then mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps.
The disclosures triggered nationwide concern, prompting the Committee to broaden its probe to include issues of admission, certificate issuance, and verification procedures.
Fulata commended YABATECH for its openness and proactive steps in addressing academic fraud.
He said the institution’s efforts reflect a genuine commitment to maintaining educational standards and protecting its legacy as Nigeria’s first higher institution of technology.
He assured the Rector, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, and his management team that the House of Representatives is determined to identify those responsible for certificate racketeering and strengthen oversight systems across all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The committee, he added, will submit a detailed report to the House with recommendations aimed at tightening regulations, improving inter-agency verification, and restoring public confidence in Nigerian certificates.
In response, Engr. Abdul welcomed the lawmakers and reaffirmed the college’s commitment to academic integrity.
He said YABATECH has implemented several measures to protect the authenticity of its certificates, including a partnership with the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) at securing the production of the college certificates, which now carry advanced security features that make forgery impossible.
Abdul also revealed that the college had experienced attempts by hackers and external collaborators to infiltrate its online systems, particularly during admission processes.
The Rector said that the management responded by strengthening its cybersecurity framework and tightening access to internal academic data while some cybercafes around the college identified as collaborators in fraudulent admissions processes were immediately sanctioned.
The Registrar of YABATECH, Henrietta Badejo, explained that the institution maintains a strict and transparent verification process for certificates and transcripts.
According to Badejo, each verification request is carefully reviewed against official student records, including matriculation numbers, academic performance, and course history.
She noted that individuals who present fake certificates are often challenged in court, and YABATECH has consistently won such cases because of its meticulous record-keeping system.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Abdul reaffirmed YABATECH’s readiness to cooperate fully with the House Committee and other relevant authorities to end certificate racketeering.
He noted that the college would continue to uphold the values of excellence, transparency, and accountability that have defined its reputation for over seven decades.
The session ended with a renewed call from both sides for stronger collaboration between institutions, government agencies, and law enforcement to safeguard Nigeria’s education system from exploitation and fraud. [The Eagle Online]
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