The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, FCVSN, recently inaugurated the Reconstituted Committee on Degree Mills, tasked with developing measures to strengthen institutional interventions against the proliferation of degree mills.
The Committee is chaired by the NUC Director, Inspection and Monitoring (DIM), Mrs. Justina Emerole. Other members include Visiting Professors Beatrice O. Emma-Okon and Ahmed Doko Ibrahim; Deputy Director, Legal Services, Directorate of Executive Secretary’s Office (DESO), Barr. Pascal Eruaga; Deputy Director, Resource Programme & Planning, Directorate of Academic Planning (DAP), Dr. Mohammed Ayuba; Deputy Director, Academic Matters, Directorate of Establishment of Private Universities (DEPU), Barr. Umma Kaltume Giwa-Amu; Deputy Director, Undergraduate Programme Accreditation, Directorate of Accreditation (DA), Dr. Bashir Dauda; Deputy Director, E-Learning Division, Directorate of Open, Distance and e-Learning (DODeL), Dr. Hadu Gabriel Ligari; and Chief Legal Officer, Legal Services Division, Barr. Aaron K. Zamani, who serves as Member/Secretary.
Addressing the Committee at the inauguration ceremony held in the Executive Secretary’s Office, Professor Ribadu emphasized that the team had been constituted to reinforce the Commission’s commitment to curbing the proliferation of degree mills and to confront activities undermining the quality and credibility of degrees in the Nigerian University System (NUS).
He highlighted the Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the Committee to include:
- Identification of Degree Mills: Identify any institutions or entities operating as degree mills in Nigeria, by whatever name, and act on intelligence, public complaints, petitions, and surveillance reports received from stakeholders.
- Investigation of Activities: Conduct diligent and discreet investigations into identified degree mills, their promoters, modus operandi and points of operation; gather evidence required for effective prosecution by relevant security and anti-corruption agencies; and verify claims of affiliation with foreign or local universities.
- Collaboration with Security and Anti-Corruption Agencies: Work with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other relevant agencies to: arrest operators of illegal institutions, close illegal facilities, prosecute offenders and facilitate inter-agency awareness task teams for joint operations where necessary.
- Public Sensitisation and Information Dissemination: Create and sustain public awareness campaigns on the dangers of patronizing degree mills; provide verified information on identified fraudulent institutions; and issue periodic advisories to universities, employers, and the general public.
- Advisory and Policy Recommendations: Make recommendations to the NUC on preventive and strategic measures to curb degree mill activities; propose regulatory, legislative, and operational reforms to strengthen the Commission’s response; and provide guidance on institutional processes such as verification of foreign degrees, accreditation safeguards, and quality assurance.
- Any Other Task Assigned by the Commission: Undertake additional duties that may assist the NUC in fulfilling its statutory mandate of maintaining quality and standards within the Nigerian University System.
Professor Ribadu further charged the Committee to remain resolute in their assignment, expressing confidence that it comprises men and women of integrity, commitment and drive who would assist the Commission in tackling the menace of degree mills in the system.
In response, the Chair of the Committee, Mrs. Justina Emerole, thanked the Executive Secretary for reconstituting and inaugurating the Committee, as well as for his unwavering leadership of the Commission. She described it as a rare privilege to carry out the assignment and pledged that the Committee would not disappoint the Commission.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were the Acting Director, Executive Secretary’s Office (DESO), Mr. Adewale Bakare, and the Acting Head of Special Duties in the Executive Secretary’s Office, Dr. Abubakar Tanko Mohammed.