The Federal Government is weighing the introduction of an assessment test for Nigerians who obtain degrees from foreign institutions before those qualifications can be evaluated for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Acting Permanent Secretary Dr Folake Olatunji‑David announced at the 37th meeting of the National Standing Committee (NSC) on Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications in Abuja on Monday.
Olatunji‑David said the proposed test is intended to ensure that foreign qualifications presented by Nigerians reflect genuine learning achievements and meet the required academic standards, a concern that has grown with the increasing number of Nigerians studying in overseas higher‑education institutions, particularly in West Africa.
“We must ensure that the standard of education in Nigeria is not lowered by allowing all manner of foreign qualifications that are not recognised to be paraded by Nigerians without the corresponding learning achievement.”
She described the NSC as central to safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s education system, noting rising cases of forged Nigerian and foreign degree certificates. The ministry has already made progress by confirming the accreditation status of foreign institutions, issuing clearance and no‑objection letters for NYSC mobilisation, authenticating certificates, and automating the evaluation and authentication process earlier this year, which has also boosted ministry revenue through fee remittances.
The committee will deliberate on five key issues:
- Guidelines for issuing no‑objection letters required for registering proposed institutions with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
- Compliance by foreign‑curriculum secondary schools operating in Nigeria with national examination policies (WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS).
- Recognition of foreign secondary qualifications, including the Higher School Diploma from the United States and Canada and the French Baccalaureate.
- Establishing mechanisms for monitoring Nigerians studying in African institutions through institutional visits.
- Recognising foreign regulatory bodies that transmit information on accredited institutions via diplomatic channels.
Gabriel Amudipe, Director of Education Support Services in the ministry, stressed that the committee’s work is critical for evidence‑based planning, effective monitoring and transparent evaluation of foreign qualifications. He urged members to be objective, fair and firm so that genuine qualifications are cleared while sub‑standard cases are appropriately addressed.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
