The Federal Government is considering introducing assessment tests for Nigerians who obtain university degrees from foreign institutions, particularly in African countries, before their qualifications can be approved for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The proposed measure is aimed at verifying the academic competence of foreign-trained graduates and ensuring that their qualifications reflect genuine learning achievements and meet Nigeria’s educational standards.
The Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, disclosed this on Monday at the 37th meeting of the National Standing Committee (NSC) on Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications in Abuja.
Olatunji-David said the proposal had become necessary amid the growing number of Nigerians pursuing higher education abroad, particularly in West African countries, where concerns have emerged over the recognition and quality of some foreign qualifications.
She urged the committee to consider introducing assessment tests as an additional requirement before foreign-trained graduates could have their certificates evaluated for NYSC mobilisation, stressing that the government would not compromise academic standards in recognising qualifications obtained outside Nigeria.
The acting permanent secretary also expressed concern over increasing cases of forged Nigerian and foreign degree certificates, noting that the ministry was taking steps to ensure that only genuine qualifications from duly accredited institutions were recognised.
She disclosed that the ministry had made progress in verifying the accreditation status of foreign universities, issuing clearance letters for NYSC mobilisation, authenticating certificates and providing no-objection letters. According to her, the evaluation of foreign qualifications and authentication of Nigerian certificates have also been automated and digitalised since the beginning of 2026 to improve efficiency and transparency.
Meanwhile, the committee is expected to examine compliance by foreign-curriculum secondary schools operating in Nigeria with the country’s education policy on public examinations.
Olatunji-David said such schools must prepare their students for at least one recognised Nigerian examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) or National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), as applicable, before graduation, regardless of where they intend to pursue higher education.
Other issues before the committee include reviewing the recognition of foreign secondary school qualifications, such as the Higher School Diploma awarded in the United States and Canada and the Baccalaureate certificates issued by French schools.
The committee will also consider mechanisms for monitoring Nigerians studying in African institutions through institutional visits and recognising foreign regulatory bodies as reliable channels for verifying the accreditation status of overseas institutions.
The Director of Education Support Services in the ministry, Gabriel Amudipe, urged committee members to ensure fairness, objectivity and transparency in evaluating foreign qualifications, noting that the process was important for strengthening quality assurance and protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.
The Federal Government said the deliberations would help ensure that genuine foreign qualifications receive appropriate recognition while certificates that fail to meet established academic and accreditation requirements are properly scrutinised.
The proposed assessment test is still under consideration and has not been announced as an implemented requirement for foreign-trained graduates seeking NYSC mobilisation.
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