The Federal Government has fixed October 6, 2025, as the commencement date for a mandatory nationwide academic credentials verification exercise, in a decisive move to curb certificate racketeering and restore confidence in Nigeria’s education system.
The directive is contained in a circular signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and addressed to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as public and private tertiary institutions.
According to the circular, the exercise will be enforced through the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS), operating under the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
Under the new regime, both existing and prospective staff of public and private institutions must secure clearance from the NCVS before their appointments can be confirmed. Every successfully verified certificate will be issued a National Credential Number (NCN) with unique security codes to guarantee traceability and authenticity.
Government officials describe the mechanism as a “major shift” from previous fragmented approaches, offering a centralised, independent quality assurance framework that ensures uniform standards across all institutions. The policy derives its legal authority from Section 10(1) of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, 1985.
The NCVS was formally launched in March 2025 by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, following Federal Executive Council approval. At the unveiling, Alausa had declared it “a decisive move to end fake degrees, phoney honours, and diploma mills undermining Nigeria’s education credibility.”
Confirming the readiness of the system, Ms. Haula Galadima, Executive Director of Communication and Cybersecurity at NERD, said on Wednesday that the verification service is now fully operational.
She urged all MDAs, tertiary institutions, and private employers to immediately enrol their designated NERD focal persons and records officers via the onboarding portal.
“NERD is a federal initiative, and the national standard for higher education digitisation,” Galadima explained. “It is designed to protect national security, safeguard education integrity, and enhance the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s academic system.”
Galadima further noted that NERD administers unique identifiers such as the National Student Number (NSN), the National Credential Number (NCN), and the National Document Number (NDN), allowing real-time authentication of certificates and awards. The system also feeds into a National Database of Resource Persons.
She stressed that the strength of the initiative lies in linking decentralised institutional databases into a federated system, while preserving institutional autonomy. “By October 6, fake degrees and unearned honours will no longer slip through the cracks. Every credential presented in Nigeria must be verifiable at the click of a button,” she assured.
The NERD Governing Council is chaired by the Minister of Education, others are National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), the Committee of Vice Chancellors, the Committee of Rectors, the Committee of Provosts, the National Library of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Stakeholders say the initiative could prove pivotal in ending decades of fake degree scandals, protecting the labour market from unqualified entrants, and restoring international respect for Nigerian qualifications.
