The alliance of scholars, students, alumni and relevant Nigerians has applied to the National University Committee (NUC) for emergency action against social media creators “University.”
The petition was sent to the NUC’s Executive Secretary and Council, raising alarms about the upward trend of imitation agencies “Gehgeh University” and “Blessing CEO of the University.” According to the group, although these names are often portrayed as comedy, they make the value of higher education insignificant and undermine the integrity of the Nigerian university system.
“University” is a protected title – Alliance Warning
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Alliance for the Protection of Academic Integrity, Charles Ekeh emphasized that this matter is far from a harmless joke.
“The term ‘university’ is the name of legal protection obtained only through strict certification. When comedians take this title casually, it dilutes its meaning and does not respect the hard work behind a real academic institution,” He said.
Ekeh further warned that allowing content creators to abuse titles could mislead unsuspecting audiences, cheer on fraudulent programs and exacerbate the challenge of fake degree factories in the country.
The Alliance cited provisions of the Nuclear Act to remind the Committee that no individual, group or organization has the right to use the “university” in its name without proper approval. They believe that the risk of failing to enforce the law would reduce the regulatory authority of the NUC.
Alliance requirements
The group called on NUC to:
- Publicly condemn this practice.
- Issue a paused command to calculate social media accounts such as Gehgeh and Blessing CEOs
- Work with the National Communications Commission (NCC) and digital platforms to ensure compliance.
- Launch a national awareness campaign to educate Nigerians about the difference between a recognized university and a parody or fraudulent entity.
Ekeh clarified their position, insisting that the petition is not an attempt to silence the comedian or stifle creativity, but a necessary step to protect the credibility of Nigerian education.
“Defending the integrity of our academic institutions is no joke,” He came to the conclusion.
