The National Union of Nigerian Students (NANS) has made a fervent appeal to the Federal Government, urging a reevaluation of its decision to suspend the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo, neighboring nations of Nigeria.
This plea comes on the heels of the government’s recent move to suspend certificates from the two francophone West African countries following a concerning report exposing the expedited acquisition of a degree from a Benin Republic university within an implausibly brief span of two months.
In a released statement attributed to Akinteye Afeez, the President of NANS Senate, the student body expressed appreciation for the government’s commitment to upholding the sanctity of academic credentials. However, it cautioned against the potential fallout of this blanket suspension on legitimately enrolled students who have diligently pursued their education in these countries.
Highlighting the plight of numerous students, the statement underscored that many individuals have invested significant time in their studies, having completed one, two, or even three years of academic coursework. Others have successfully graduated and are awaiting the necessary evaluations to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, crucial for their professional progression.
NANS emphasized the resultant state of uncertainty faced by these students, pointing out the looming prospect of delays in their educational and professional trajectories due to the suspension.
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Advocating for a more nuanced approach, the union urged the government to distinguish between those complicit in fraudulent activities and the majority of students who have pursued their education genuinely. NANS stressed the need to avoid penalizing all students based on the actions of a few, calling for a reevaluation of the suspension to mitigate the adverse impact on these students’ futures.
Additionally, the statement underscored the significance of Benin Republic and Togo as educational havens for a considerable number of Nigerian students seeking quality education. NANS cautioned that a sweeping suspension could strain both diplomatic and educational relations, potentially curtailing the opportunities available to Nigerian students in these neighboring countries.
In a bid to address concerns over fraudulent practices without obstructing the genuine educational pursuits of Nigerian students in these nations, NANS proposed a reversal of the suspension while advocating for a stringent yet transparent evaluation process to safeguard the integrity of academic qualifications.
