The Federal Government has dismissed viral reports alleging that the National Universities Commission (NUC) identified 2,000 universities and uncovered about 100 fake professors in Nigeria, describing the claims as false, misleading and recycled misinformation.
According to a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the NUC had never declared that 2,000 universities existed in Nigeria or published, endorsed or authenticated the purported list of individuals being circulated on social media as fake professors.
The Ministry, in a clarification, explained that the allegation concerning fake professors was a distorted version of a media report published on December 3, 2019, about an NUC exercise to verify the directory of full professors in Nigerian universities.
It stressed that the original report did not contain the names currently circulating online, adding that the Commission had since disowned the purported list.
The Ministry expressed concern over the repeated circulation of the claims, warning that they were capable of undermining public confidence in Nigerian universities and discrediting efforts to strengthen the country’s education sector.
It urged members of the public, media organisations and social media users to disregard the reports and verify information about recognised universities and academic standards through the NUC’s official channels.
The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to working with the NUC to safeguard academic integrity, strengthen quality assurance and protect the credibility and international reputation of Nigeria’s university education system.
