NUC denies report of 100 fake professors in Nigerian varsities

Acting Executive Scretary of NUC, Chris Mayaiki

The National Universities Commission on Monday denied reports that it uncovered a total of 100 fake professors in some universities across the country.

Some media organisations (excluding The PUNCH) had listed some universities as part of the institutions indicted by the NUC for having fake professors.

But the NUC in a statement released on Monday, said though it initiated a verification process in 2019 for academics in Nigerian universities, at no point did it release a list of fake professors in 2024.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the commission can confirm that it initiated in 2019 a laudable project, with the intent of compiling and publishing a list of full Professors in the Nigerian Universities System through the use of an online portal to collate the requisite data. During the exercise, the NUC found anomalies, such as Associate Professors being listed as full Professors.

“It is essential to also state clearly that the Commission as a responsible Federal Government Agency, does not engage in half-baked exercises capable of tarnishing the image of Nigeria and the NUS.

“That was why the Commission deemed it necessary to share the collated data with the Nigerian Universities for authentication by the competent authorities as to who qualifies to be a full professor”, the regulatory agency said in the statement.

The PUNCH reports that the media space has been taken awash by reports of the alleged fake professors with Nigerians raising questions regarding the qualifications of academics in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

So far, some of the universities listed as allegedly having fake Professors on their payrolls such as the University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, Babcock University and Covenant University among others, have issued rebuttals and called for calm.