Some banned institutions in the Benin Republic have found ways to get their graduates into the National Youth Service Corps with the help of some private polytechnics in Nigeria, according to what we found.
Our source told us that the universities now get Higher National Diploma and National Diploma certificates for their graduates and students who are about to graduate from private polytechnics, according to Saturday PUNCH.
The polytechnics would then get the concerned students ready for the statutory NYSC after giving out the HND certificates.
It was also learned that the students had to pay about N400,000 to get their HND credentials from polytechnics, which are predominantly in the South-West and South-East states.
Benin universities on the blacklist
In 2024, the Ministry of Education of the federal government said that it would stop evaluating and accrediting degree diplomas from the Republic of Benin and Togo.
The suspension affects more than 45 universities in Benin and Togo.
The federal government’s choice came after Daily Nigerian published a story on a degree mill in Cotonou, a major city in the Benin Republic.
A journalist from the newspaper went underground and got a degree from the institution in six weeks. They even took part in the NYSC, which is required in Nigeria.
After the ban, several of the universities that were affected went to private polytechnics to help their Nigerian graduates sign up for NYSC.
The connivance
Seun, a graduate of Esfam-Benin University, one of the banned universities in Porto Novo, told our correspondent that his academic credentials had been sent to a private polytechnic in Nigeria for processing.
He also said that several of his classmates had already been processed and were waiting for their NYSC call-up letters, which should come before December.
Seun said that two graduates from the school had previously been sent to NYSC through the same polytechnic.
He did say, though, that he had spent a lot of money on the bundle.
He stated, “Some people have finished their procedure and are simply waiting for the next batch of NYSC to move them. They are now working on several graduates who signed up before we did. Those grads will be listed before the end of the year. I know of two women from our school who are already working.
“Some people have finished their processing, but I’m having a problem with my O’Level that I’m working on fixing. I need to figure that out for the upcoming polytechnic course. I was persuaded to pay N120,000 for a “special center” where they would help me pass the GCE or a similar test. After that, I may sign up and the portal will be open for me.
“We’ve already sent the polytechnic our names and diplomas. In short, if you have money, you can get a Benin Republic certificate, then go to a Nigerian polytechnic with money and get a fresh certificate that lets you join the NYSC.
Another person who graduated from one of the blacklisted universities in Benin Republic said that a key member of the school’s management told them about the “package” after the Nigerian government banned schools in the country.
“When Benin Republic universities were banned, Dele, a major member of the school, told us that people were still serving in NYSC.
“He explained that even if our university degrees were no longer valid for NYSC, he could assist us get into a private polytechnic in Nigeria. He said he could get us into the school and offer us a link, but we had to pay a fee.
“He said that we might go to NYSC through the Nigerian polytechnic and that we would get National Diploma and Higher National Diploma diplomas from that school.
He also told us to go to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s headquarters in Ikoyi, where we met a man who handed us a PIN to use to sign up. The dude already knew we were from him when we got there.
Our journalist, who pretended to be a parent, talked to another graduate from a Beninoise university named Isa. Isa said that he had been enrolled in one of the polytechnics and was waiting for his call-up.
Isa claimed he will go to serve before December.
He said that a lot of schools in the West African country were working with Nigerian polytechnics to make sure their kids took part in the NYSC.
Isa said that he got his ND and HND certifications from a private polytechnic in Abia State.
He told us, “We set up a private polytechnic in Abia State.” The last time I talked to the registrar, he said that NYSC had already received our names. But they need a few more grads to go for mobilization before us.
“That’s why I didn’t join the last group.” After the present group finishes camping, we’ll go with the next one. “This isn’t a scam; it’s working.”
How a scam works
Our reporter spoke to a university administrator in Porto Novo who was also part of the syndicate. He said he had stopped being involved in the unlawful business.
A high-ranking official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that numerous schools in Benin Republic that are not allowed to operate are working with Nigerian polytechnics to help its graduates sign up for the NYSC.
He talked about how to apply and indicated that a student needs a Bachelor of Science degree from a school in the Benin Republic to show that they have graduated.
“After we get the certificate from the Benin Republic, we have to wait for the polytechnic to add the students’ names to the senate list. In Nigeria, the NYSC uses the senate list, whereas in the Benin Republic, they used an evaluation letter.
“Later, the students will have to pay a fee to start the process. After they pay, the Nigerian polytechnics would ask us for their transcripts and then graduate the students as their own.
“So, students from Benin schools get ND and HND certificates from Nigerian polytechnics to use when they sign up for NYSC.”
The insider said that because Nigeria no longer accepted certifications from the Benin Republic, students had to discover other ways to get around the rule. All of Benin’s schools are doing the same thing.
“The Nigerian government says it is ready to bring our schools back to Benin Republic, but the fee they want is very high.” Because they have thousands of pupils, none of the schools in Benin can afford it. The overall sum is huge.
He went on to say, “But schools in Togo, which are also affected, have paid the required amount and are now clear.”
A woman named Wunmi said that her brother, who graduated from one of the blacklisted universities, was waiting for the NYSC to call him up through the fake arrangement.
She alleged that she paid to get a spot at a private polytechnic in Ekiti State.
“I paid N500,000 for the package for my brother.” A member of the management at the Benin Republic university where he graduated told us about the deal.
“They told me not to worry because many graduates from the same university had taken the same path and were already serving in the NYSC,” she said.
Our reporter got a document that showed the names of two Beninoise graduates who had been illegally added to the roster of students at a private polytechnic.
They had made up fake matriculation numbers and CGPAs for them.
They had also already gotten their marks for their ND and HND certifications.
Our correspondent talked to some of the graduates.
At the same time, Femi Simon, an official at Esfam-Benin University, said that the university was not participating in such a scam.
He said over and over that Esfam did not work with any Nigerian school.
Simon remarked, “As of today or before today, all of our students serve through the available channels before the Nigerian government’s policy on Benin and Togo. We are patiently waiting for the government’s final decision.” You can keep looking into whether we’ve ever had a student who worked for another school outside of our own, but we’ve never sent our pupils to another school.
It can’t be done – NYSC, the ministry of education
Carol Embu, the acting NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, said in response that the NYSC was not aware of the issue.
“We don’t know about this,” she said. The Ministry of Education gives the green light to foreign graduates. “All foreign graduates go through them.”
Folashade Omoboriowo, the Ministry of Education’s spokesperson, informed our reporter that it wasn’t possible.
She also said that the registration portal was meant to find these kinds of changes.
“In fact, we made a portal to make this easier,” Omoboriowo remarked. The portal was changed and used to collect data for NYSC to get HND students to join.
“At first, all HND admissions had to go through that. We have gone digital, so this kind of scam can’t happen.
She also reported the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education as stating, “Please let them send us one case to look into.” This is what the Executive Secretary of NBTE said. It can’t be done. “Please bring it up if you have proof.”
Dr. Usman Tunga, the National Chairman of the Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria, said he didn’t know about this happening.
He said, “To the best of my knowledge, I don’t know of any polytechnic that is doing that.” I don’t know if it’s happening or not.
Tunga, on the other hand, said that if any of these kinds of scams were found, they would be reported to the right people so that action could be taken.
He said, “The only thing we can do is tell the national body of technical education, which is in charge of overseeing polytechnics, so they can be punished.”
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