The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a nationwide crackdown on fake academic credentials, mandating all ministries, agencies, and higher institutions to begin verifying staff qualifications through a new digital platform from October 6.

This follows a directive issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, as part of sweeping reforms to strengthen academic integrity.

Under the new rules, all credentials must be verified through the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS), a central component of the National Education Repository and Databank (NERD). Every verified certificate will carry a National Credential Number (NCN), making it digitally traceable and tamper-proof.

The reform aims to combat the rising trend of forged degrees, unearned honors, and certificates from unaccredited institutions. Going forward, no employment or academic recognition in Nigeria’s public or private sectors will be valid without NCVS clearance.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the initiative as a “systemic quality assurance tool” to restore trust in the education sector.

Haula Galadima, Executive Director for Communication and Cybersecurity at NERD, said the platform ensures all academic records are “identifiable, verifiable, and validatable,” and urged institutions to enroll their verification officers via ned.gov.ng/onboarding.

NERD is governed by a multi-agency council including the NUC, NBTE, NCCE, National Library, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. It operates as a national standard for education data security and integrity.

This marks Nigeria’s most comprehensive response yet to academic fraud setting a new standard for transparency, compliance, and global recognition of Nigerian qualifications.

Source: Vanguard
By: John Alechenu

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