Education Ministry Rejects Viral Claims About 2,000 Universities and ‘100 Fake Professors’
The Federal Ministry of Education has rejected viral social-media claims that the National Universities Commission identified 2,000 universities in Nigeria and recently exposed about 100 fake professors.
In a statement issued on 14 November, the ministry said the NUC had not announced the existence of 2,000 universities and had not published, endorsed or authenticated the list of academics circulating online.
Old material presented as a new discovery
The ministry said the disputed material combined separate, older reports in a way that created a false impression of a new official investigation. One element was traced to a 2019 exercise concerning the verification of full professors in Nigerian universities.
The NUC has previously warned the public about unlicensed institutions and degree mills. Those genuine warnings should not be treated as confirmation of every list shared on social media.
The commission maintains directories of approved universities and academic information on its official website. Prospective students should verify an institution’s status directly with the NUC before paying fees or accepting admission.
Why careful verification matters
False lists can damage the reputations of legitimate institutions and academics. They can also distract from genuine concerns about unlicensed degree-awarding operations.
MBTV has not reproduced the viral list because the responsible agencies say it is unauthenticated. Anyone receiving the material should avoid forwarding it as an official NUC publication.
Sources: Federal Ministry of Education statement reported by Punch; NUC information on its degree-mills committee; National Universities Commission.
Featured image: licensed illustrative university photograph.
