Photo Credit: The Sun Nigeria / Federal Ministry of Education
FG, NYSC To Integrate Education Records To Fight Certificate Forgery
The Federal Government is partnering with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to create a digitally linked education records system aimed at curbing fake certificates, fast-tracking verification, and ensuring genuine graduates are not denied national service or job opportunities.

The disclosure was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Tuesday in Abuja when the NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, led a delegation to his office.

According to Alausa, the move is part of digital reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to improve management of academic records and block loopholes exploited for certificate fraud.

He said the ministry is leveraging the Nigerian Education Repository Data Bank (NERD) to collate and authenticate university certificates, track learners across education levels, and support tertiary institutions through dedicated help-desk officers.

The minister added that the broader Nigerian Education Data Infrastructure will interconnect data generated at different stages of a learner’s academic journey to build a more credible record of academic progression. The ministry has also fully digitised its Education Support Services, including certificate verification for local and foreign applicants.

Alausa revealed that talks are ongoing with the NYSC to deploy an Application Programming Interface (API) for quicker verification and seamless data exchange between both bodies.

He noted that deeper integration would help resolve administrative issues such as name discrepancies, challenges with part-time National Diploma graduates, and admission of NCE holders into HND programmes, which have hindered some qualified graduates from participating in NYSC.

To permanently address the issues, the ministry will collaborate with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and other agencies. Plans include introducing a national Learner Identification Number and a standardized system for capturing and sequencing names across education and identity databases.

The minister said the system would establish accurate identity from the start of schooling to reduce future problems with certification and mobilisation. He also stressed that efforts against examination malpractice, including question leakages, must be sustained beyond basic schools to tertiary institutions.

The initiative builds on previous steps, including the September 2025 directive for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to use the National Credential Verification Service for staff certificate authentication, and the March 2026 announcement making NERD certificates mandatory for prospective corps members before NYSC registration. The NYSC in June 2026 said it would strictly enforce the rule to block unqualified graduates.

The reforms come amid rising concerns over fake credentials. In November 2025, former JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede disclosed that about 15,000 candidates allegedly forged admission letters to qualify for NYSC.

On his part, NYSC DG, Brig. Gen. Nafiu, lauded the ministry’s reforms, noting that the Corps has pursued digitalisation since 2014 and that technology like QR codes has “virtually eliminated document cloning”.
Source: The Sun Nigeria –