FG moves to end academic fraud with nationwide education data policy

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to curb academic fraud and strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s education system with the full implementation of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) Policy across tertiary institutions.

 

Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, disclosed this while addressing participants at the 2026 National Capacity Building Programme on the Implementation and Enforcement of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank Policy in Abuja.

 

Alausa said the initiative was designed to secure, standardise, digitise and authenticate academic records across post-secondary and tertiary institutions in the country.

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According to him, the NERD platform represents the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening education data ownership, eliminating credential falsification and preserving Nigeria’s academic history.

 

“NERD is not merely a technological platform; it is a strategic national infrastructure designed to secure, standardise, digitise, and authenticate academic records across post-secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

 

“It represents the Federal Government’s firm commitment to education data ownership, zero tolerance for academic fraud, and the preservation of our national academic history,” he said

 

He explained that with the approval of the Federal Executive Council, NERD was established as the digitisation vehicle for Nigeria’s education sector, with key components including the National Credential Number (NCN), the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS), the National Students Clearing House and a national repository for academic publications and abstracts.

 

The minister noted that within four months of enforcement, the platform had already curated nearly 100,000 digital student submissions that might otherwise have been lost, while more than 350 universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education had been onboarded for real-time credential verification.

 

He added that over 133,000 students and about 6,800 lecturers were currently enrolled on the platform, supported by more than 665 designated focal persons across the country.

 

Alausa further revealed that the initiative had stimulated job creation through collaboration with local technology entrepreneurs, leading to the establishment of 1,060 digital service centres nationwide and the creation of more than 3,000 direct jobs within four months.

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He stressed that the credibility of academic certificates depends on the integrity of record-keeping systems, noting that education certificates represent a national guarantee that due process and standards were followed.

 

The minister announced that the maiden edition of the award programme would be held in November 2026.

 

He also clarified that compliance with the NERD policy had become a prerequisite for participation in or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps scheme, while several regulatory agencies had been directed to align their processes with the policy.

 

“To further promote academic excellence, I have approved the establishment of the NERD Annual National Laureate Prize and Awards Programme, which will reward outstanding Undergraduate, Master’s, and Doctoral theses with prizes ranging from N5 million to N20 million. The maiden edition will hold in November 2026.

 

“It is important to clarify that while NERD compliance is now a prerequisite for participation in, or exemption from, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), enforcement extends far beyond NYSC. Agencies such as TETFund, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), as well as all accredited tertiary institutions, are mandated to ensure compliance as a condition for accessing their services,” the minister added

 

These agencies include the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education, National Commission for Colleges of Education and the Industrial Training Fund.

 

Alausa emphasised that institutions must adhere strictly to compliance timelines, establish internal verification mechanisms and designate competent personnel to manage digitisation and records.

 

He added that the government had also approved that 40 per cent of profit-sharing from credential verification services would revert to the institution that issued the academic award, ensuring that universities and other institutions benefit directly from the system.

 

The minister further urged education administrators, record officers and digitisation officers to ensure diligence in verifying and uploading records, noting that the trust placed in Nigerian qualifications by employers and foreign institutions depended on the credibility of the system.

 

He also encouraged institutions to prioritise locally developed digital solutions in line with national local content policies.

 

According to him, the future of Nigeria’s education system is data-driven, transparent and digitally verifiable, adding that the successful implementation of the NERD policy would strengthen the global reputation of Nigerian academic credentials.