Abuja: The Federal Government has announced a nationwide enforcement of the national policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) on academic credential verification. This enforcement is scheduled to take effect from Oct. 6. This directive was contained in a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, dated Aug. 8, and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Akume directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as all higher institutions in Nigeria, to commence the implementation of a structured verification of academic credentials of all staff and prospective staff through the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS) of the NERD programme. He emphasized that no appointment would be confirmed without an NCVS clearance affirming the authenticity of academic qualifications presented.
Effective from Oct. 6, 2025, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as all higher institutions in Nigeria, whether civilian, military, private or public, are required to begin implementing an intensive but structured verification. This involves verifying the academic credentials of all staff and intending staff through the NCVS of the NERD programme and ensuring compliance for each new recruitment by obtaining an instant NCVS clearance.
Akume highlighted that each clearance would carry a National Credential Number (NCN) and ancillary security codes for record purposes. He noted that the reform means every certificate, diploma, honour, or award presented in Nigeria must be earned from an accredited institution and must be identifiable, traceable, verifiable, and validated with ease.
The policy invokes Section 10(1) of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, 1985, assigning enforcement responsibility to the NERD, proposed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in May 2023. Additionally, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who had earlier introduced the NCVS in March after FEC approval, described the scheme as a systemic quality assurance check to curtail academic fraud, fake degrees, and bogus honours.
In a statement, Haula Galadima, Executive Director of Communication and Cybersecurity for the NERD programme, confirmed that the agency’s services were ready for nationwide deployment. She urged MDAs, post-secondary schools, tertiary institutions, and the private sector to enrol their NERD Focal Persons and Digitisation Officers via the agency’s website. Galadima explained that NERD is a federation initiative and the federal standard for higher education digitisation, designed to protect national security and prestige, ensure education integrity, and digitally enhance the economic value of Nigeria’s education for global competitiveness.
Galadima added that NERD’s mandate also includes administration of the NSN, NCN, and National Document Number (NDN), as well as hosting a National Database of Resource Persons for instant verification of genuine honours. She emphasized that the federal government has created the nation’s official one-stop shop for data consistency, facilitating organic cooperation and coordination of decentralised systems in the national interest.
The NERD Governing Council, chaired by the Minister of Education, comprises the leadership of the NUC, NBTE, NCCE, National Library, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the committees of vice chancellors.