Over 10,000 Nigerian undergrads chasing worthless degrees in Benin Republic.

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...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 Othmanu Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; before taking a B.Sc (Bachelor of Science) in Bio-chemistry.