Education Ministry says viral claims are recycled misinformation, insists NUC never released or authenticated the purported list of fake professors.
The Federal Government has dismissed viral reports claiming that the National Universities Commission (NUC) identified 2,000 universities and uncovered about 100 fake professors in Nigeria.
The Ministry of Education described the reports as recycled misinformation intended to mislead the public and discredit the country’s university system.
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, made the clarification in a statement issued on Saturday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
According to the statement, the NUC never declared that Nigeria had 2,000 universities or published, endorsed or authenticated the list of individuals currently circulating online as fake professors.
The ministry explained that the claim about fake professors was a distorted version of a December 3, 2019, media report concerning an NUC exercise to verify the directory of full professors in Nigerian universities.
It added that the original report did not contain the names currently being circulated and that the commission had disowned the purported list.
The ministry warned that the claims could undermine public confidence in Nigerian universities and urged media organisations and social media users to verify information about recognised institutions and academic standards through the NUC’s official channels.
It also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the commission in protecting academic integrity, strengthening quality assurance and preserving the credibility of Nigeria’s university system.