Alausa Warns Universities, Polytechnics Against Accreditation Fraud

Alausa Warns Tertiary Institutions Against Accreditation Fraud, Threatens Sanctions

Hope Ajayi September 9, 2026 2 minutes read

ABUJA, Nigeria – Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has warned heads of tertiary institutions against manipulating accreditation exercises, saying public institution leaders found culpable could lose their appointments, while private institutions risk having their operating licences withdrawn.

Alausa issued the warning on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Ministerial Committee on Strengthening the Accreditation and Quality Assurance System for Tertiary Institutions.

He condemned the practice of borrowing lecturers, laboratory equipment, library resources and other facilities shortly before accreditation visits to create a false impression of institutional capacity.

According to the minister, accreditation should reflect the true state of an institution rather than temporary arrangements designed to mislead regulators.

“Institutions must maintain accreditation standards at all times, not only when regulatory agencies are scheduled to visit,” he said.

To curb the practice, Alausa disclosed that the Federal Government would deploy digital verification tools, geotagging and other technologies to authenticate the ownership, location and continuous availability of academic facilities and personnel.

He also expressed concern over irregular admissions into tertiary institutions, noting that the practice had adversely affected hundreds of thousands of students.

The minister said the ongoing reforms would strengthen transparency in the accreditation process, eliminate loopholes and protect students from the consequences of institutional misconduct.

Chairman of the committee and former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, pledged that the committee would address weaknesses in the current accreditation system.

He said the panel would review existing procedures, identify gaps and recommend measures to strengthen continuous monitoring and verification of staff, facilities and academic resources across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.