A controversy has erupted over the accreditation of Nigerian universities in Togo, with the proprietors of these institutions countering claims made by the Education Minister, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
At a news conference in Lagos, the Governing Council and Academic Board of Centre for the Development of Technical, Economics and Commercial Learning (CPTEC), a degree-awarding institution in Togo, asserted that over 40 universities, including CPTEC, are legally accredited in Togo Republic and recognised as degree-awarding institutions.
“The minister misinformed Nigerians by announcing that only eight universities have been accredited to award degrees to Nigerians in Togo and Benin Republic.
“We are aware that the minister’s announcement came in the aftermath of the Nigerian government’s decision to suspend the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates of Nigerian students who studied from the Republic of Togo,” said CPTEC’s president, Prof. Tunde Adeyemi
Adeyemi noted that the Ministry of Higher Learning in Togo has debunked the minister’s statement, and that the list of accredited universities in Togo is available on the website of the Ministry of Higher Learning in the Republic of Togo.
“The logical explanation to this is that the committee from the Nigerian Ministry of Education misinterpreted the information from the ministry in Togo,” Adeyemi added.
“They were informed about the French education ranking of higher learning institutions that awarded degrees, which are: universities that consist of faculties/ colleges; institutes/ centres; and higher colleges.”
The controversy has raised questions about the credibility of the accreditation process and the fate of Nigerian students who have graduated from these universities.