The Federal Government has banned 18 foreign universities from operating in Nigeria for violating the country’s Education Act.

The ban was announced in a statement published on the website of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The NUC noted that the federal government had not licensed the affected foreign universities, saying they had been closed down.

It further described the universities as “degree mills” and warned Nigerians to avoid enrolling in such institutions.

The affected universities are five from the United States, six from the United Kingdom, and three from Ghana.

“The National Universities Commission wishes to announce to the general public, especially parents and prospective undergraduates that the under-listed ‘degree mills’ have not been licensed by the Federal Government and have therefore been closed down for violating the Education (National Minimum Standards, etc.) Act of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004,” the NUC stated.

READ ALSO: Degrees Racketeering: FG suspends accreditation of Benin, Togo certificates

The affected universities are the University of Applied Sciences & Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin, or any of its other campuses in Nigeria; Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana, or any of its other campuses in Nigeria; the International University, Missouri, USA, Kano, and Lagos Study Centres, or any of its campuses in Nigeria and the Collumbus University, United Kingdom operating anywhere in Nigeria.

Others are Tiu International University, UK; Pebbles University, UK, operating anywhere in Nigeria; London External Studies UK operating anywhere in Nigeria; Pilgrims University operating anywhere in Nigeria; West African Christian University operating anywhere in Nigeria; EC-Council University, USA, Ikeja, Lagos Study Centre and Concept College/Universities (London) Ilorin or any of its campuses in Nigeria.

Other affected universities are Houdegbe North American University campuses in Nigeria; Irish University Business School London, operating anywhere in Nigeria; University of Education, Winneba Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria; Cape Coast University, Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria; African University Cooperative Development, Cotonou, Benin Republic, operating anywhere in Nigeria; Pacific Western University, Denver, Colorado, Owerri Study Centre and Evangel University of America & Chudick Management Academic, Lagos.

The latest development is coming shortly after the Federal Ministry of Education announced the temporary suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Republic of Benin and Togo.

This followed an investigative report titled, ‘How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks,’ published by the Daily Nigerian newspaper.

The report exposed how some officials of the Beninese University produced fake university degrees for a fee.

The Star