Findings show that the foreign universities—barred by the Federal Government from evaluation and accreditation—now obtain National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) certificates through Nigerian polytechnics for their graduates.
Once the certificates are issued, the polytechnics allegedly mobilise the affected students for NYSC, despite their foreign degrees being invalid for service in Nigeria.
Sources revealed that each student pays around ₦400,000 for the “HND package,” often through intermediaries linked to both institutions.
How the Fraud Operates
One of the graduates of Esfam-Benin University in Porto Novo, identified simply as Seun, said his academic records were forwarded to a private polytechnic in Nigeria, where he and others paid heavily to be included on the Senate list for NYSC mobilisation.
“Our names and certificates have already been processed with the polytechnic. Once you get your Benin Republic degree, you just pay again in Nigeria and collect an HND certificate that allows you to serve,” Seun said.
Another graduate confirmed that a senior staff member of his Benin Republic school arranged the deal through a private polytechnic in Nigeria.
“They told us that though our certificates were blacklisted, we could still go for NYSC through a polytechnic. We paid, registered at a JAMB office in Ikoyi, and got new ND/HND documents,” he added.
Investigations also revealed that some private polytechnics in the South-West and South-East regions—especially in Abia and Ekiti states—are key players in the fraud.
Documents obtained showed two Benin graduates already listed on a private polytechnic’s Senate list with fabricated matriculation numbers, fake CGPAs, and processed HND certificates.
Government Reacts
Reacting to the report, the NYSC spokesperson, Carol Embu, said the scheme was unknown to the corps, stressing that foreign graduates are verified through the Ministry of Education.
“We are not aware of this. All foreign graduates go through the Ministry of Education for clearance,” Embu said.
Similarly, Folashade Omoboriowo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, dismissed the claim, saying the NYSC mobilisation portal had been digitalised to prevent such manipulation.
“We created a system that detects such fraud automatically. If anyone has proof, let them present it,” she said.
The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) also denied any knowledge of such activities, calling for evidence to investigate.
“If it’s true, we will act immediately, but so far, we have not seen any verified case,” he stated.
However, a top administrator of one of the implicated Benin universities, who admitted once being part of the illegal operation, told reporters that many banned institutions are still using this route to help their students serve in Nigeria.
“Once you get your Benin certificate, you send it to a Nigerian polytechnic, pay the required fee, and they include you in their Senate list for NYSC,” he confessed.
The Federal Government had, in 2024, suspended the accreditation of degree certificates from over 45 universities in Benin Republic and Togo, after an undercover journalist from Daily Nigerian obtained a degree within six weeks and successfully served in the NYSC.
Despite the crackdown, the fraudulent practice appears to be thriving underground through corrupt academic networks.
