The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening the integrity of academic records, with Education Minister Dr. Maruf Alausa warning that participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) will now require full compliance with the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD).
Addressing participants at a national capacity-building programme for school representatives on Thursday, Alausa stressed that the move is part of broader reforms aimed at safeguarding the credibility of Nigeria’s education sector and ending certificate fraud.
“Let me emphasise that education is a covenant between the State and its citizens. When a certificate is issued, it is not merely paper; it is a national guarantee that due process was followed,” Alausa said. “Without compliance with NERD, students will not be allowed to participate in NYSC or access services from federal agencies and institutions.”
The minister explained that NERD is a strategic national infrastructure designed to digitise, standardise, and authenticate academic records across all tertiary institutions. Key components include;
- National Credential Numbers
- National Credential Verification Service
- Federated repository of academic theses and abstracts
- National academic publication and indexing database
- Within just four months of implementation, the platform has already:
- Preserved nearly 100,000 digital student submissions
- Onboarded over 250 universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education
- Enrolled more than 133,000 students and 6,800 lecturers
- Established 1,000 digital service centres, generating over 3,000 jobs nationwide
Alausa also noted that the government has acted decisively against Nigerians obtaining fraudulent degrees from unaccredited institutions abroad. “Those who received illegal certificates have all been removed from the civil and public service,” he said.
In addition, the Education Ministry has launched the NERD Annual National Laureate Prize and Awards Programme to reward outstanding research at undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, with prizes ranging from ₦5 million to ₦20 million. The maiden edition is scheduled for November 2026.
The minister emphasised that adherence to NERD extends beyond NYSC, affecting institutions and federal agencies such as TETFund, NUC, NBTE, NCCE, and ITF. “NERD is anchored on transparency, traceability, and accountability. Compliance is mandatory for all accredited institutions,” he said.
Highlighting the broader significance, Alausa commended the NERD CEO, Engineer Tunji Ariyomo, for preserving Nigeria’s academic knowledge. “Countries that preserve and validate knowledge over time are the ones leading the world. This initiative ensures that Nigeria can participate effectively in the global knowledge economy,” he said.