The House of Representatives Joint Committee investigating alleged certificate racketeering in higher institutions has called for stiffer penalties for individuals involved in certificate forgery and their accomplices.
Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Fulata (APC–Jigawa), made the call after a tour of some Lagos-based higher institutions, including the University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology, Caleb University, and Lagos State University.
Fulata described the rising cases of certificate forgery as a national embarrassment, noting that many degree holders today cannot defend their qualifications.
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“It is unfortunate to see somebody with a degree certificate who has been mobilised for NYSC service but cannot properly write his name, let alone defend what he claims to have studied,” he said.
The lawmaker lamented the decline in academic integrity, contrasting it with earlier times when students studied diligently to earn their certificates.
He added that while most forgeries are carried out by fraudulent individuals, the situation worsens when school management or staff are complicit.
“We cannot fold our hands and watch lazy and fraudulent people destroy the name of Nigerian tertiary institutions,” Fulata stated, urging universities to enhance security features on certificates for easier verification.
The investigation followed a resolution of the House after an investigative journalist exposed widespread certificate racketeering across Nigerian institutions.
The development comes amid reports that Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, resigned his position following allegations that he forged his university and NYSC certificates.
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