By Stella Odueme
The Federal Government has debunked viral reports claiming that the National Universities Commission (NUC) identified 2,000 universities and discovered about 100 fake professors in Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Education described the reports as false and misleading, insisting that the Commission never made such declarations or authenticated the list of individuals being circulated online.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the claims were unfounded, adding that the NUC had neither announced the existence of 2,000 universities in the country nor released any list of fake professors.
In a statement issued by the Ministry's Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, on Saturday, the Ministry explained that the allegation about fake professors originated from a misrepresentation of an NUC media report published on December 3, 2019.
The statement clarified that the 2019 report was about an exercise to verify the directory of full professors in Nigerian universities and did not include the names currently being circulated on social media.
It further noted that the NUC had disowned the circulating list, urging Nigerians not to associate it with the Commission.
The Ministry warned that the repeated circulation of the claims could damage the reputation of Nigerian universities and erode public confidence in the country's higher education system.
It called on journalists, social media users and the general public to verify information about recognised universities and academic standards through the NUC's official communication channels.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to working with the Commission to protect academic integrity, improve quality assurance and sustain the credibility of Nigeria's university education system.