FG dismisses reports of 2,000 universities, 100 fake professors

The Federal Government has disowned a viral list of alleged fake professors, saying the National Universities Commission never authenticated the names or declared that Nigeria had 2,000 universities.

The Ministry of Education described the reports circulating on social media as recycled misinformation capable of damaging the reputation of the country’s university system.

In a statement signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, the ministry said the claims were false and misleading.

It explained that the allegation about fake professors originated from a media report published on December 3, 2019, concerning an NUC exercise to verify the directory of full professors in Nigerian universities.

However, the ministry said the report had been distorted to support the circulation of names that were not in the original publication.

“The original report did not contain the names currently being circulated, which the Commission has since disowned,” the statement said.

It added that Education Minister, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, had made it clear that the NUC neither identified 2,000 universities in Nigeria nor published, endorsed or authenticated the purported list of fake professors.

The ministry expressed concern that the claims continued to circulate despite the commission’s position, describing them as attempts to undermine public confidence in Nigerian universities and discredit efforts to improve the education sector.

It urged 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 remains committed to supporting the NUC in safeguarding academic integrity, strengthening quality assurance and protecting the credibility and global reputation of Nigeria’s university education system,” the statement added.