The Federal Government has intensified efforts to safeguard the integrity of academic records in Nigeria through the implementation of the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Park (NERD).
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said on Thursday in Abuja during a National Capacity Building Programme for school representatives that the initiative aimed to strengthen institutional compliance and curb academic fraud.
Alausa explained that the NERD platform was a strategic national digital infrastructure designed to secure, standardise, digitise, and authenticate academic records across post-secondary and tertiary institutions nationwide.
He said the initiative highlighted the federal government’s commitment to data ownership, zero tolerance for academic fraud, and the preservation of Nigeria’s academic history.
“The Nigeria Education Repository and Databank is not merely a technology platform but a strategic national infrastructure for securing and verifying academic records,” he added.
He cited components like the National Credential Number and Federated Repository of Academic Test and Assurance.
The minister disclosed that within four months of enforcement, the platform had curated nearly 100,000 digital student submissions and onboarded more than 350 universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education for real-time credential verification.
According to him, more than 133,000 students and 6,800 lecturers are currently enrolled on the platform, supported by more than 655 focal persons nationwide.
He added that more than 1,000 digital service centres had been set up in partnership with Nigerian tech entrepreneurs.
Alausa stressed that safeguarding the integrity of academic certificates is essential to sustaining trust in Nigeria’s education system, noting that such certificates serve as national assurances that proper standards and procedures were followed.
He also disclosed that the government had investigated cases involving fraudulent certificates obtained from unaccredited institutions and had removed individuals found with illegal credentials from the public service as part of efforts to enforce accountability.
As part of initiatives to encourage academic excellence, Alausa announced the creation of the NERD Annual National Knowledge Prize and Award Programme, which will reward outstanding undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses with prizes ranging from ₦5 million to ₦20 million.
The minister further urged tertiary institutions to strengthen internal verification systems, appoint qualified personnel, and prioritise digital capacity development to improve compliance and accountability.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of NERD, Tunji Ariyomo, highlighted the importance of preserving Nigeria’s knowledge and historical records, warning that poor documentation has created gaps that hinder the growth of knowledge.
He explained that the platform documents academic projects, theses, and dissertations, including details of supervisors, co-supervisors, and departmental heads, thereby improving accountability and enhancing the quality of academic supervision.
Ariyomo also noted that the platform addresses copyright and intellectual property concerns for students, lecturers, and institutions, ensuring proper recognition and protection of academic work.