Investigations have uncovered how some blacklisted universities in the Benin Republic are secretly working with private polytechnics in Nigeria to smuggle their graduates into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH revealed that after the Federal Government suspended the recognition of degree certificates from Benin and Togo in 2024, several of the affected universities began partnering with Nigerian polytechnics to issue new certificates — for a fee — that would qualify their graduates for NYSC mobilisation.
How the Scheme Operates
According to insiders, the universities in Benin Republic forward academic records of their graduates to certain private polytechnics in Nigeria, which then issue them National Diploma (ND) or Higher National Diploma (HND) certificates.
These certificates are used to register the students for NYSC. Each student reportedly pays between ₦400,000 and ₦500,000 for the entire process, depending on the polytechnic involved — many of which are located in the South-West and South-East regions.
A graduate of Esfam-Benin University, identified only as Seun, confirmed that his documents were already being processed by a private polytechnic. He claimed that some of his classmates had been mobilised for NYSC and were currently serving.
He said, “Once you pay, they process everything. I know two ladies from my school already serving through this arrangement. They told me I’d need to pay ₦120,000 for a ‘special centre’ to fix my O’Level before completing registration.”
Another graduate disclosed that a senior member of his Benin-based university connected them to a Nigerian polytechnic after the government’s ban. “He said our Benin certificates could no longer be used for NYSC, but he had a link with a polytechnic that could issue us valid ND and HND certificates,” the source said.
A graduate identified as Isa said he obtained both his ND and HND from a private polytechnic in Abia State and would be joining the next NYSC batch. “It’s not a scam. It’s working. The polytechnic’s registrar told us our names are already with NYSC,” he said confidently.
Inside the Fraud Network
A senior administrator in one of the affected Benin universities admitted to being part of the network before withdrawing. He confirmed that the illegal arrangement helps Benin graduates gain NYSC slots using Nigerian certificates.
He explained that the process begins when a student presents a Benin Republic degree. The Nigerian polytechnic then includes the person’s name in its “senate list” — a key document NYSC uses for mobilisation.
“The students pay the required amount, we forward their transcripts, and the polytechnic issues new certificates. That’s how Benin graduates get ND and HND certificates to qualify for NYSC,” he revealed.
He added that some schools in Togo had paid the hefty reinstatement fees demanded by the Nigerian government to lift the ban, but most Benin schools could not afford it, pushing them into fraudulent alternatives.
A woman named Wunmi told Saturday PUNCH she paid ₦500,000 for her brother’s inclusion through a private polytechnic in Ekiti State. “They assured us many others had done it and were already serving,” she said.
Documents obtained by Saturday PUNCH also showed fabricated matriculation numbers, grades, and cumulative GPAs for some of the students smuggled into NYSC mobilisation lists.
Denials and Official Reactions
Officials from Esfam-Benin University denied any involvement in the fraudulent scheme. “Our students only served through legitimate channels before the Nigerian government’s suspension. We have no partnership with any Nigerian polytechnic,” said the school’s representative, Femi Simon.
Reacting, the Acting Director of Press and Public Relations for NYSC, Carol Embu, said the corps was unaware of any such activities. “All foreign-trained graduates are cleared by the Ministry of Education,” she said.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Folashade Omoboriowo, dismissed the claims, stating that their registration system had been fully digitalised to prevent such manipulations.
She quoted the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) as saying, “Let them provide one verifiable case for investigation. It is not possible.”
Similarly, the National Chairman of the Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology, Dr Usman Tunga, said he had no knowledge of such practices but promised that any confirmed case would be reported for sanctions.
