The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed reports circulating online that the National Universities Commission (NUC) identified 2,000 universities in Nigeria and uncovered about 100 fake professors.

The ministry described the claims as recycled misinformation aimed at misleading the public and damaging the reputation of Nigeria’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.

The ministry said the NUC had neither declared the existence of 2,000 universities in the country nor published or authenticated the list of individuals being circulated online as fake professors.

It explained that the claim about fake professors was linked to a media report published on December 3, 2019, concerning an NUC exercise to verify the directory of full professors in Nigerian universities.

According to the ministry, the original report did not contain the names currently being circulated online, adding that the NUC had since disowned the purported list.

The ministry expressed concern that the continued circulation of the claims could undermine public confidence in Nigerian universities and cast doubt on efforts to improve standards across the higher education sector.

It urged members of the public, media organisations and social media users to disregard the reports and verify information on recognised universities and academic standards through the NUC’s official channels.

The ministry also reaffirmed its support for the NUC’s efforts to protect academic integrity, strengthen quality assurance and maintain the credibility of Nigeria’s university system locally and internationally.