The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced stricter compliance measures in the country’s education sector, declaring that students whose records are not captured on the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank may be ineligible to participate in the National Youth Service Corps.
The policy forms part of broader reforms aimed at combating certificate fraud and ensuring the integrity of academic credentials nationwide.
The announcement was made on Thursday by the Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa during a national capacity-building programme themed “Strengthening Institutional Compliance and Academic Records Integrity.”
The programme brought together school representatives to improve the accuracy, security, and authentication of academic records across institutions.
Addressing participants, Alausa emphasised the importance of credible data in governance and policymaking.
“Data is the lifeblood of effective governance.
”Without data, we are flying blind. And that is not what this government is about,” he said.
The minister also commended President Bola Tinubu for his bold reforms aimed at repositioning the country’s education and governance systems.
According to Alausa, NERD is a national digital platform designed to standardise and authenticate academic credentials across tertiary institutions.
The platform will issue national credential numbers, operate a National Credential Revocation Service, run a National Student Clearinghouse, maintain a federated repository of theses and abstracts, and manage a national academic publication and indexing database.
Since its enforcement, the minister said NERD has achieved significant adoption, with more than 133,000 students and over 6,800 lecturers enrolled, supported by 655 focal persons nationwide.
Nearly 100,000 digital student submissions have been preserved, while over 250 higher education institutions have been integrated for real-time verification.
The initiative has also created more than 1,000 digital service centres in partnership with Nigeria Digital Entrepreneurs, generating over 3,000 jobs.
Alausa cited cases of Nigerians obtaining illegitimate degrees from unaccredited institutions abroad as a key driver of the reforms.
“Before President Tinubu came into government, there were reports of individuals getting PhD certificates in just six months from non-existent universities.
”Today, those illegal practices have been stopped, and individuals holding such certificates have been removed from public service,” he said.
NERD compliance is now mandatory for students and institutions seeking access to government education services, including NYSC participation.
Agencies such as TETFund, National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education, National Commission for Colleges of Education, and the Industrial Training Fund have been directed to enforce compliance.
“NERD is anchored on transparency, traceability, and accountability.
”The National Credential Verification Service will maintain a digital footprint of every academic award in accredited Nigerian institutions,” the minister said.
Alausa encouraged institutions to prioritise locally developed digital platforms in line with the Federal Government’s local content policy.
He also announced the creation of the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank Annual National Laureate Prize and Awards Programme, which would recognise exceptional academic research with prizes ranging from N5 million to N20 million, with the inaugural edition scheduled for November.
NERD CEO Tunji Ariyomo described the initiative as a crucial step in preserving Nigeria’s academic knowledge and strengthening the research ecosystem.
“Nations that preserve and validate knowledge over time are the ones leading the world.
”This initiative ensures that Nigeria’s knowledge and research can stand on its own and be recognised globally,” Ariyomo said.
The reforms aimed to end credential falsification, improve research documentation, and restore credibility to Nigeria’s education system, addressing long-standing challenges of forged and unverifiable degrees.
