The Federal Government has introduced a new requirement making compliance with the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD) mandatory for anyone seeking to participate in or obtain exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The move is part of broader efforts to curb certificate fraud in Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, disclosed the directive during a national programme focused on the integrity of academic records. He explained that NERD is a digital system designed to standardise and verify academic credentials across tertiary institutions in the country.
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“It is important to clarify that while NERD compliance is now a prerequisite for participation in, or exemption from, the National Youth Service Corps, enforcement extends far beyond NYSC,” he said.
Alausa further noted that several key agencies—including the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF)—will also require NERD compliance before providing their services.
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According to him, the platform has already recorded significant progress. In just four months, nearly 100,000 student records have been digitised, more than 250 tertiary institutions have joined the system, and over 133,000 students have been enrolled.
The minister also stated that the government has put an end to the practice of Nigerians obtaining fraudulent degrees from unaccredited foreign institutions, particularly in the Republic of Benin.
“Before President Tinubu came into government, there was a whistleblower who reported about Nigerians going to the Republic of Benin to study… That has been put to a complete stop.
And all of those people that got those illegal certificates have all been thrown out of our civil service, public service.”
He emphasised that the government will strictly enforce the policy to eliminate credential falsification and protect the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
