Abuja, Nigeria – The Federal Government has announced stricter enforcement measures in the education sector, declaring that graduates who fail to register on the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD) risk being barred from participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The Minister of Education, , made this known while addressing stakeholders at a national capacity-building programme focused on strengthening compliance and safeguarding academic records.
The minister said the reforms are part of broader efforts to curb certificate fraud and restore confidence in Nigeria’s education system, following reports of citizens acquiring questionable degrees from unaccredited foreign institutions. He described data as central to governance and policy formulation, stressing that accurate, verifiable records are essential for national development. He also commended President for backing reforms aimed at long-term sustainability.
According to Alausa, NERD is designed as a national digital infrastructure to standardise and authenticate academic credentials across tertiary institutions. The platform issues unique credential numbers, operates a National Credential Revocation Service, maintains a student clearinghouse system, and hosts a central repository for theses, academic publications and institutional data.
Okay News reports that within four months of enforcement, nearly 100,000 student records have been digitised, with more than 250 universities, polytechnics and colleges onboarded for real-time verification. Over 133,000 students and 6,800 lecturers have reportedly registered on the platform, supported by hundreds of designated institutional focal persons nationwide.
The Chief Executive Officer of NERD said the initiative would help Nigeria preserve its academic heritage and close long-standing gaps in documentation, arguing that nations that properly archive and validate knowledge are better positioned to compete globally. He urged institutions to study the framework carefully, particularly provisions relating to copyright and intellectual property.
Nigeria has grappled with persistent cases of forged and unverifiable certificates, including degrees obtained from illegal “degree mills” in parts of West Africa. The new measures, the government says, are intended to ensure that academic qualifications issued within and outside the country can be properly tracked, verified and trusted.
