Title: FG Tightens Academic Records System to Curb Fake Degrees, Launches National Data Repository Date Published: 06 March 2026 Description: The Federal Government has intensified efforts to safeguard the credibility of Nigeria’s education system by strengthening academic record management and tightening compliance measures across tertiary institutions.Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, made the disclosure on Thursday during a national capacity-building programme organised to support the implementation of the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank.The training programme, themed “Strengthening Institutional Compliance and Academic Records Integrity,” was designed to equip representatives of tertiary institutions with the necessary tools to ensure the accuracy, security and authenticity of academic records nationwide.Addressing participants, Alausa emphasised the critical role of data in governance and policy formulation, stressing that reliable information is central to effective decision-making and accountability.He explained that the NERD platform is a strategic national infrastructure aimed at digitising, standardising and authenticating academic records across Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.According to the minister, the system manages national credential numbers, a National Credential Revocation Service, a National Student Clearinghouse and a federated repository of academic theses and abstracts, alongside a national academic publication and indexing database.Alausa noted that the initiative has already recorded significant progress since its rollout. He revealed that within four months of enforcement, nearly 100,000 digital student submissions had been preserved while more than 250 universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education had been integrated into the system for real-time credential verification.He added that over 133,000 students and about 6,800 lecturers had already been enrolled on the platform with the support of more than 655 focal persons nationwide.The minister further disclosed that the Federal Government, in collaboration with Nigeria Digital Entrepreneurs, had established more than 1,000 digital service centres across the country, creating over 3,000 jobs within four months.Alausa also revealed that the government had taken decisive steps to tackle the proliferation of fake academic certificates, particularly those obtained from questionable foreign institutions.He recalled that a whistleblower had previously reported cases of Nigerians acquiring dubious degrees from institutions in the Republic of Benin, with some individuals reportedly obtaining PhD certificates within six months from unaccredited schools.According to him, the Federal Government launched investigations on the directive of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, leading to the termination of the practice and the removal of individuals who obtained such illegal certificates from the civil and public service.To further promote academic excellence, the minister announced the establishment of the NERD Annual National Laureate Prize and Awards Programme, which will recognise outstanding undergraduate, master’s and doctoral research with prizes ranging from N5 million to N20 million. The maiden edition of the awards is scheduled for November.Alausa also directed ICT directors and tertiary institutions nationwide to fully comply with the NERD initiative, noting that adherence to national academic record standards has now become mandatory.He explained that compliance with the platform would be required for participation in programmes of key agencies such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education and the Industrial Training Fund.He also noted that compliance with the NERD platform would become a prerequisite for participation in or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps.The minister further encouraged institutions to prioritise locally developed technology solutions in line with the Federal Government’s local content policy, stressing that the education sector should rely on homegrown digital platforms.He commended the Chief Executive Officer of the NERD platform, Tunji Ariyomo, for advancing efforts to preserve Nigeria’s educational data.In his remarks, Ariyomo described the initiative as a crucial step toward safeguarding Nigeria’s academic knowledge and research output, noting that valuable educational records had historically been lost due to weak documentation and preservation systems.He explained that countries that systematically preserve and validate knowledge over long periods are often the ones leading global development, adding that the repository would help Nigeria strengthen its position in the global knowledge economy.Ariyomo also urged participants at the training programme to familiarise themselves with the NERD regulations, particularly provisions relating to copyright, intellectual property and institutional participation. 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