Undercover Revelation: Cotonou Varsity Degree Arrives Like Pizza, Says Reporter

Umar Audu, an undercover journalist, on Wednesday, highlighted the ease of obtaining a certificate from a Cotonou-based University in Benin Republic within six weeks.

In his investigative report titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks,” Audu exposed a certificate racketeering syndicate operating in neighbouring African countries like Benin Republic and Togo. This syndicate specialises in selling university degrees to willing buyers in Nigeria.

According to Audu, the certificate was delivered swiftly after payment, drawing a comparison to ordering pizza. Featuring on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, he said, “This certificate will be delivered to you just like you ordered for a pizza or something, and you give them your location, and it is delivered to you. That was what motivated me to conduct this investigation.”

Despite a similar investigation in 2018 leading to government decisions, Audu emphasised that such practices persist despite pronouncements by the Federal Government.

An intriguing part of the report is that the undercover reporter obtained the school’s transcript bearing the authentic scan code of Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, Benin Republic, and it came at an affordable rate.