In the media

The Nigerian National Universities Commission (NUC) has banned the awarding of honorary degrees to serving public officials. This decision was taken after an investigation found that honorary degrees are being used as a way to fraudulently gain the title ‘Dr’. The head of NUC warned that misuse of honorary titles undermines the integrity of universities and diminishes public trust in genuine academic qualifications. The report identified 32 Nigerian institutions operating as honorary degree mills.

The Ondo State Government praised the Federal Government’s launch of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), calling it a landmark reform against certificate racketeering and academic fraud. NERD digitizes Nigeria’s academic output and standardized credential verification. It also introduces the National Publication Index to enhance academic integrity, and indigenous knowledge governance.

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Finance Minister has started a province-wide check to remove ghost workers from the Education Department. Nonexistent or former employees, including teachers who resigned, were dismissed, or died, are still receiving pay. This problem may be costing the department about 1 billion rand (approx. 57.31 million USD) every year, calling for urgent action.

A new survey by Transparency International (TI) Initiative in Madagascar reveals widespread corruption in education. 40% of nearly 5,000 respondents reported being victims of corruption in schools, while 81% said they knew of such cases, including diploma buying, exam leaks, and sexual favors for grades. TI warns these practices undermine equal access to education and trust in the system.

Artificial intelligence is now scanning academic literature for fraud, plagiarism, and errors on a large scale. Tools like Image Twin and Proofing detect manipulated images, while others flag ghostwriting and fake citations. A global AI-powered audit could soon expose widespread scientific flaws. Experts warn that such revelations may erode public trust, unless the scientific community leads the reform and communicates transparently.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a blockchain-based platform to verify academic degrees, aiming to curb widespread diploma fraud. The move follows a 2023 audit that found nearly one in three diplomas submitted for verification was either fraudulent or unverifiable. Developed in partnership with TindaTech, the system enables universities to issue tamper-proof credentials, helping restore trust in education and promote transparency nationwide.

The Central Bureau of Investigation of India uncovered a massive medical education scam involving 34 accused individuals – among them senior health officials and private college leaders – affecting over 40 institutions nationwide. Eight people have been arrested so far, including three doctors, linked to bribes totaling at least 5.5 million rupees (approx. 65,000 USD). The scam involved bribery, forgery, fake faculty, and manipulated inspections.

A study surveying 2,864 people across seven regions of Madagascar – including students, parents, and educators – reveals widespread corruption in the technical and vocational education. The findings expose exam fraud, grade buying, biased teacher selection, embezzlement, and sale of test papers. Interviews and qualitative analysis deepened the understanding of these systemic issues in admissions and resource management.

Over 14,000 academic papers were retracted from English language journals in 2023, with three-quarters of which involved a Chinese co-author. As a result, the Chinese Ministry of Education is currently auditing the retracted research to determine how far academic fraud is widespread. The main issue stems from the fact that it is easy to pay for research to be written by ghostwriters and published in low-quality journals in China. Analysts argue that the political nature of research in China contributes to issues of academic integrity, as it prioritizes the quantity of published papers over their quality.

In an analysis carried out jointly by the Publications Ethics Committee and the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers, over half of the 3,440 articles submitted over a two-year period were found to be fake. Open science practices, such as pre-registration of study plans and registered reports could promote transparency and accountability. Recognizing the importance of peer review and rewarding reviewers can also strengthen academic integrity and reduce the proliferation of suspect articles.