Tinubu Orders Crackdown On Illegal Tertiary Institutions Across Nigeria

Tinubu Orders Crackdown On Illegal Tertiary Institutions Across Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has mandated Nigeria’s education regulatory agencies to take stronger action against unaccredited tertiary institutions operating within the country.

Delivering his address at the 14th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja on Saturday, the President—represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu—urged the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and other relevant bodies to decisively tackle the activities of so-called “certificate mills” that continue to erode the integrity of Nigeria’s education sector…READ MORE…

He emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering greater collaboration among all education agencies to promote efficiency and quality.

“This administration is resolute in its efforts to strengthen the coordination of all institutions responsible for managing the education system, ensuring that academic standards are upheld,” Tinubu stated.

He further highlighted the ongoing collaboration among key agencies—including the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), NUC, NBTE, and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE)—in addressing issues of academic fraud and the proliferation of unaccredited institutions both locally and internationally.

“I call on the leadership of these regulatory agencies to remain firm in protecting the education sector from fake institutions and certificate fraud. We must not allow the credibility of our academic system to be compromised,” he added.

During the convocation, 51 inmates from various correctional facilities graduated from NOUN—comprising 41 undergraduate and 10 postgraduate students.

The event also saw the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, and Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In his remarks, Tinubu encouraged NOUN to take the lead in driving Nigeria’s transition to a digitally driven economy by adopting fully online learning models, aligning with its Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mandate.