The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on certificate racketeering and academic fraud.
This was contained in a statement issued in Kaduna by Mrs Fatima Abubakar, Head of the Board’s Media Unit.
The statement followed a report published by Punch Newspaper on Saturday titled “Benin Varsities, Nigerian Polys in NYSC Fraud.”
Abubakar said the report alleged that some private polytechnics in Nigeria were collaborating with blacklisted universities in the Republic of Benin to fraudulently mobilise graduates into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) using fake National Diploma and Higher National Diploma certificates.
She stressed that “the NBTE does not condone, support, or tolerate any form of certificate racketeering or academic fraud,” adding that the integrity of Nigeria’s technical education system remains paramount.
According to her, the Board had already initiated preliminary investigations and contacted the NYSC and Punch Newspaper for relevant information. “Erring institutions will be sanctioned accordingly. The sanctions may include withdrawal of operational licences and prosecution,” she noted.
Abubakar reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to maintaining high academic standards, assuring continued collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and other agencies to protect the credibility of Nigeria’s polytechnic education.
She also urged the public and stakeholders to remain calm, vigilant, and report any suspicious activities involving Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to the appropriate authorities.
Abubakar commended the Nigerian press for its recent investigative efforts aimed at sanitising the education system, reiterating NBTE’s commitment to transparency and accountability at all levels.
(NAN)