The Federal Government has announced October 6, 2025 as the official start date for mandatory nationwide verification of academic certificates, part of a sweeping reform to eliminate certificate fraud and restore credibility to Nigeria’s education system.
This directive, outlined in a circular signed by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), was sent to all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as public and private tertiary institutions.
The exercise will be managed through the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS), a digital verification platform under the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
Under the new policy, all existing and prospective staff of both public and private institutions must have their academic qualifications verified and cleared through the NCVS before their appointments or confirmations can be finalized.
Each verified certificate will be issued a National Credential Number (NCN) embedded with security features to prevent forgery and allow easy tracking.
The initiative is backed by Section 10(1) of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, 1985.
The NCVS was officially launched in March 2025 following approval by the Federal Executive Council.
At the launch, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described it as a “decisive move to end the era of fake degrees, diploma mills and forged academic records.”
“This verification system marks a major step in strengthening our education standards and protecting the value of legitimate qualifications,” Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education
Ms. Haula Galadima, Executive Director of Communication and Cybersecurity at NERD, confirmed on Wednesday that the platform is now fully functional and ready for onboarding by institutions and employers.
She called on all MDAs, universities, polytechnics, and private sector organizations to enrol their designated officers on the NERD portal.
“NERD is Nigeria’s official platform for academic digitisation. It safeguards national education integrity, enhances digital security, and strengthens our global academic credibility,” Haula Galadima, NERD Executive Director
NERD will issue digital identifiers such as National Student Number (NSN), National Credential Number (NCN) and National Document Number (NDN).
These will enable instant verification of degrees, diplomas, and certificates via a unified, secure platform.
The database will also support a National Resource Persons Registry, ensuring transparency in academic and professional credentials.
Galadima clarified that while the NCVS centralizes credential verification, it still preserves institutional independence, linking their databases into a secure national framework.
The reform is collaborative, involving all regulatory bodies and higher institutions in Nigeria.
The NERD Governing Council, chaired by the Minister of Education, includes members from National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Committee of Vice-Chancellors, Committee of Rectors, Committee of Provosts, National Library of Nigeria as well as Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
“With this system in place, fake credentials will no longer go unnoticed. Every certificate will be verifiable at the click of a button,” Haula Galadima.
The reform aims to eradicate academic fraud, enhance the reputation of Nigerian graduates globally and establish a credible, digital trail for all academic records issued in the country.
