The House of Representatives has summoned the Ministers of Education, Foreign Affairs, Youth Development, and Interior over alleged certificate racketeering involving some Nigerians.

Also invited are the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Committee of Vice Chancellors, the National Universities Commission (NUC), Penlight Media Ltd, and the Ministry of Higher and Science Education, Republic of Benin (Ambassade De La Republique Du Benin, Abuja), among others.

The joint committee of the House will hold a public hearing on the issue on Monday, May 19, 2025.

Chairman of the joint committee, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata, in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday said the parliament is determined to investigate the growing certificate scam.

According to Fulata, even though letters have already been sent to all the concerned public and private institutions, the statement serves as a reminder. He warned that any agency or individual that fails to appear will be seen as supporting corruption in the education system.

Fulata said the decision to probe the matter came after a journalist went undercover to expose the scandal.

He stated: “The journalist went undercover and investigated the booming business, bagged Cotonou varsity degree within few weeks as well as participated in the NYSC scheme within the shortest speed of time.”

He added: “This unfortunate development in the education system is indeed alarming. It is even more worrisome that while most Nigerians undergo the process of acquiring educational qualifications following the laid down processes and procedures, others sneak underneath to illicitly acquire their certificates with which they obtain jobs and operate in different fields of human endeavours in this country.”

“The act is not only illegal but very dangerous to our collective wellbeing, future and the socio-economic development of the country as whole.”

The lawmaker also disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JAMB, and the Nigerian Immigration Service have yet to submit their reports to the committee, despite earlier requests.