More than 10,000
Nigerians pursuing
various degree
programmes at
different private
universities in
neighbouring Benin
Republic are simply
wasting their time,
Travels can
authoritatively reveal.
Many of the tens of
thousands of
Nigerians currently
enrolled at various
private colleges in
Benin are in trouble
because the
institutions where
they are studying
failed to make it into
a list of 30 approved
private universities/
tertiary institutions in
that country.
Although scores of
these private
universities have
operating license from
Benin Republic’s
Ministry of Tertiary
Education, those that
did not make the list
probably failed to
satisfy inspectors/
assessors regarding
the quality and
qualifications of their
academic staffers as
well as facilities and
learning environment
et cetera.
Interestingly, some
8,000 Nigerian
students are currently
enrolled at Houdegbe
North American
University Benin
(HNAUB). Ironically,
HNAUB, which aims to
be The Reference in
West Africa, is
conspicuously missing
from the list of 30
approved private
tertiary institutions
made available to
Travels by Nigerian
Embassy Cotonou,
recently.
That catalogue is the
outcome of
inspections and
meticulous scrutiny by
a multilateral joint
committee, whose
assignment was
concluded on March
20, 2013. Benin’s
Ministry of Tertiary
Institutions and
Nigerian Embassy
Cotonou as well as
other stakeholders
were members of
this joint committee.
Benin is also home of
mission-owned
tertiary institutions,
such as Université
Catholique de l’Afrique
de l’Ouest, Cotonou;
and, Protestant
University of West
Africa. It is worth
noting that these two
as well as Cle de la
Reussite, CERI
Formation in Fifadji,
COURS Gama, Fopaze,
HEJT, UCAO,
Université des
Sciences Appliqueé et
Management, Porto
Novo; Université des
Sciences et
Technologie du Benin,
Cotonou; and, Weldios
are among major
colleges missing from
the list of 30.
When contacted,
President Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan’s
envoy to Benin, Amb
Lawrence Olufemi
Obisakin, had initially
advised us to meet
Mr. DanKano Kakshak,
Minister I at Nigerian
Embassy Cotonou for
clarification. Mr.
Kakshak, who is
Supervisor of School
for Nigeria
International School
(NIS) Cotonou;
subsequently
confirmed the list is
authentic. He said it
was arrived at, after
meticulous efforts
and has the
endorsement of both
Beninese and Nigerian
educational
authorities. Kakshak
should know: he was
a member of the
committee that drew
the list.
During a recent
interview with Amb
Obisakin, it had come
to light that 8,000
Nigerians are studying
at HNAUB. According
to Amb Obisakin, who
taught Conflict
Management at
HNAUB for a
semester in 2012;
about 5,000 Nigerians
are full-time
students, apart from
3,000 others that are
correspondence
students, there.
Houdegbe University
is located in Quartier
Houdegbe, close to PK
10 (Peka Dix)
roundabout in the
Akpakpa
neighbourhood of
Cotonou, and probably
has the largest
number of Nigerians
studying in Benin
Republic. Aside
HNAUB, dozens of
other colleges across
Benin, where tens of
thousands of
Nigerians are pursuing
various courses are
also missing from the
list of 30 approved
private colleges.
Although countless
Nigerians are currently
studying at various
tertiary institutions in
different countries
across the world,
proximity to their
country has however
made next-door Benin
Republic particularly
attractive.
In recent years,
hundreds of
thousands of Nigerian
youngsters have
migrated because
they could not scale
the JAMBE (Joint
Admission and
Matriculation Board
Examination) hurdle.
But, there are other
reasons. For instance,
a Nigerian in his early
20s studying at
HNAUB told Travels
that his father sent
him to Benin because
his elder sister spent
seven years at
Uthmanu Dan Fodio
University, Sokoto;
before taking a B.Sc
(Bachelor of Science)
in Bio-chemistry.

maybe am d 1st to comment... space booked... no dissing pls