The House of Representatives has cleared the Republic of Togo of any involvement in the issuance of fake academic certificates, a scandal that previously shook Nigeria’s education sector. Meanwhile, the House Committee on Public Petitions has shifted its focus to the Republic of Benin, where a suspected certificate forgery syndicate is reportedly thriving. Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Bitrus Laori, revealed this during a resumed investigative hearing in Abuja on Friday. The session followed a petition submitted by Sovereign Legal Practitioners on behalf of key education stakeholders. The petition challenges the Federal Ministry of Education’s blanket statement made last year, which accused both Togo and Benin of being complicit in academic fraud. Laori noted that recent diplomatic investigations by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have exonerated Togo, reaffirming the legitimacy and credibility of its academic institutions. “The Republic of Togo has been cleared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The outstanding issue remains with the Republic of Benin,” Laori stated. The committee has fixed Thursday, July 10, 2025, for a fresh hearing on the Benin Republic following a formal adjournment prompted by the absence of the lawyer representing the petitioners. Similarly, the Committee also summoned the Federal Ministry of Education to appear before it and provide clarity on its 2024 directive regarding pre-qualification exams for foreign degree holders. “This matter is adjourned to July 10, and we are issuing another summons to the Federal Ministry of Education. We need clarification on the pre-qualification examinations being imposed on graduates from the Benin Republic, which is currently affecting hundreds of Nigerian students and graduates,” Laori said. The development comes in the wake of a high-profile sting operation in late 2024, during which a Nigerian undercover journalist uncovered a thriving certificate-for-sale racket in the Benin Republic. The exposé triggered nationwide outrage and prompted swift intervention by the federal government. As a result, numerous civil servants were dismissed for possessing degrees issued by unaccredited private universities in both Togo and the Benin Republic between 2017 and 2024. With Togo now officially exonerated, the spotlight has shifted solely to the Benin Republic.