The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to the federal government to sustain the embargo placed certificates obtained by Nigerian students from tertiary institutions in Togo and the Republic of Benin.

NANS made the appeal on Sunday, in a statement signed by the Clerk of the Senate, NANS National,
Abdul-yekinn Odunayo, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

The students body noted that the call became imperative because it was aware of clandestine moves by some individuals in the country to pressure the FG into lifting the ban.

Odunayo added that the individuals have been visiting the office of the Minister of Education in order to sell lies to him and persuade him to rescind the decision of the FG on the ban of certificates from mushroom tertiary institutions from the West African countries.

He, however, urged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to remain firm in its decision, stressing that “this remains the best move to forestall fall in standards in the education sector of Nigeria”.

The statement reads, “as an apex student’s body that is concerned about the welfare of our members and delivery of quality education in the country, we are saddened and shocked to see some self-serving and unpatriotic individuals working assiduously to scuttle the FG’s moves to sanitize and raise the standards in our education sector, especially in the tertiary.

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“We want to declare unequivocally that reversing the embargo placed on the certificates obtained from the mushroom Togolese and Beninoise tertiary institutions due to the pressure being mounted on the FG by these individuals, will hurt our education sector and eventually spell doom for the nation.

“Nigeria as the giant of Africa and a leading light in education in the continent should not allow substandard certificates from foreign varsities to be tendered and accepted in the country.

“Though, it is unfortunate that unsuspecting Nigerian students spend fortunes to obtain these certificates, standards cannot be sacrificed on the altar of ignorance and as well be jeopardized.

“There is no doubt that lifting the suspension will be unfair to Nigerian students who study hard in the country and spend a minimum of four years in tertiary institutions, compared to those who bag their degrees under a year outside the country.

“On this note, we want to reiterate that the FG should maintain its stance and continue to sanitize the education sector in the country, particularly, the tertiary institutions to ensure delivery of quality and fully baked graduates.

“While we are expressing our support for the FG’s continued suspension of the certificates from Togo and the Republic of Benin, we want to charge the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to make adequate funds and infrastructure available in tertiary institutions across the country.

“If this is done, it will curb the exodus of the Nigerian students from obtaining certificates from mushroom varsities and polytechnics in the French-speaking West African countries.

“In conclusion, NANS will continue to support policies of the Federal Government capable of enhancing the delivery of top-notch education to the Nigerian students.

“Also, NANS will resist any moves by any individual, no matter how highly placed, to put a spanner in the wheel of progress in the education sector in Nigeria