The Federal Government has said ongoing digital reforms in the education sector are strengthening the integrity of academic qualifications, curbing certificate fraud and ensuring that genuine students and graduates are not disadvantaged.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, stated this during a meeting with the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, who led a delegation of the Corps to the ministry in Abuja.
Alausa said the reforms were designed to close gaps in the management and verification of educational records, making it easier to identify learners and authenticate qualifications across the education system.
He commended the NYSC for embracing technology and supporting efforts to improve the credibility of education records, adding that stronger collaboration between the Ministry and the Corps would enhance verification processes, reduce fraud and facilitate seamless exchange of data.
The minister explained that the Nigerian Education Repository Data Bank (NERD) was collecting and verifying university certificates, tracking learners and supporting tertiary institutions through dedicated help-desk officers.
He added that the Nigerian Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) would connect records across different stages of a learner’s educational journey.
According to him, the Ministry has also digitised its Education Support Services, including certificate verification and processes involving foreign applicants.
Alausa disclosed that discussions were ongoing with the NYSC on the development of an Application Programming Interface (API) that would enable faster verification and exchange of relevant data between both institutions.
He said the reforms would help address administrative and data-related challenges that have prevented some qualified graduates from fully participating in national service and the labour market.
The minister identified discrepancies in names, issues involving graduates of part-time National Diploma programmes and the admission of National Certificate in Education (NCE) holders into Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes as some of the challenges requiring urgent attention.
He said the Ministry would engage the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other stakeholders to develop lasting solutions.
Part of the proposed measures, he noted, include the introduction of a national Learner Identification Number and a uniform framework for recording and sequencing names across government education and identity databases.
Alausa also said the government had strengthened measures against examination malpractice, including the leakage of examination questions, and stressed the need to sustain the gains and extend similar safeguards to tertiary institutions.
Speaking at the meeting, the NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Nafiu, commended the Ministry for its digital transformation initiatives and pledged the Corps’ continued support.
He said NYSC had pursued digitalisation since 2014 and developed systems that provide reliable information for corps members and deployment processes.
Nafiu disclosed that the Corps had complied with the Federal Executive Council’s directive on collaboration with NERD and was ready to deepen its partnership with the Ministry.
He noted that the introduction of QR codes had virtually eliminated document cloning within the NYSC system and assured the minister that the Corps would continue to strengthen its verification processes against emerging fraudulent practices.
The NYSC DG also highlighted efforts to address challenges affecting graduates of part-time National Diploma programmes, HND mobilisation and the admission of NCE holders into HND programmes.
According to him, discussions with the new JAMB Registrar had produced an understanding to create a window through which graduates affected by name discrepancies could regularise their records in collaboration with NIMC.
Nafiu called for a broader meeting involving JAMB, NIMC, NYSC and the Ministry of Education to develop a lasting solution to the challenges.
He stressed that a consistent national framework for recording and sequencing names, supported by a unique Learner Identification Number, would help prevent similar problems in the future.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the reforms, Alausa said the Ministry would continue to work closely with NYSC and other relevant agencies to strengthen verification systems and ensure that qualified graduates are not unfairly excluded from national service opportunities.
He added that the ultimate goal was to build an education system where every Nigerian child has access to quality education and every genuine graduate can progress on the basis of merit and hard work.
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