The National Universities Commission (NUC) has reconstituted a special committee to combat the growing problem of degree mills and illegal tertiary institutions operating across Nigeria.
The committee, made up of experienced academics and experts, has been assigned a six-point mandate focusing on the identification, investigation, prosecution, public awareness, and regulatory reforms aimed at protecting the integrity of the Nigerian university system.
The NUC announced the reconstitution and inauguration of the committee in a statement released on Thursday, citing growing concerns over the activities of illegal degree-awarding institutions that undermine academic standards and national credibility.
According to the commission, the committee will work with relevant security agencies including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest operators of illegal institutions, shut down their facilities, and prosecute offenders.
The panel is also mandated to gather evidence for prosecution, verify claims of affiliation with legitimate foreign or local universities, and conduct investigations into the promoters and operations of suspected degree mills.
Other responsibilities include responding to intelligence reports, petitions, and complaints, as well as launching public awareness campaigns to educate citizens on the dangers of patronising illegal institutions.
The committee will also propose preventive measures, legislative reforms, and stronger verification processes for foreign degrees.
The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Abdullahi Ribadu, said the committee was reconstituted to strengthen the commission’s efforts to curb the spread of degree mills and protect the credibility of degrees issued within the Nigerian University System (NUS).
Speaking on behalf of the committee, its chairman, Justina Emerole, thanked the NUC leadership for the opportunity and pledged that the panel would carry out its assignment diligently.
The move revives intensified efforts against fake institutions, following earlier NUC disclosures in 2018 of 58 illegal universities and in 2021 of 67 such entities, satellite campuses, and study centers whose certificates remain invalid.
