By Rhoda Godwin
The Federal Government has announced that graduates of Nigerian tertiary institutions must now obtain a certificate from the Nigerian Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD) before they can register for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made this known during a capacity-building workshop for representatives of tertiary institutions held in Abuja on Thursday.
Mr Alausa explained that compliance with the NERD platform is now a prerequisite for participation in, or exemption from, the National Youth Service Corps.
He clarified that although the requirement was temporarily waived for prospective corps members last year because their mobilisation process had already begun before the policy deadline, the new rule is now fully in effect.
“It is important to clarify that the Nigerian Education Repository and Data Bank compliance is now a prerequisite for participation or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps,” the minister said.
Institutions Must Also Comply
Mr Alausa added that Nigerian tertiary institutions must comply with the NERD system to access funding and services from key education agencies, including the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education, National Commission for Colleges of Education and the Industrial Training Fund.
According to him, the national credential service will maintain a digital record of academic qualifications obtained in accredited institutions across the country.
“We will aggressively enforce compliance and credentials verification to eliminate disputes over academic records,” he said.
He also urged education officers and record officers in institutions to ensure that academic records are accurately uploaded to the national database, noting that these records would be verified by employers, foreign institutions and regulatory bodies.
Strengthening Education Data Integrity
The workshop brought together officials from the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, as well as representatives from universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Mr Alausa said the training was organised to strengthen implementation of the Nigeria Education Integrity and Data Programme.
“The Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank is not merely a technology platform. It is a structured national infrastructure designed to secure, standardise, digitise and authenticate academic records across post-secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that accurate data is essential for effective governance and policy decisions in the education sector.
“Data is the lifeblood of effective governance. Without data, we are flying blind, and that’s not what this government is about,” he added.
Thousands Already Enrolled
The minister disclosed that more than 133,000 students and about 6,800 lecturers have already enrolled on the NERD platform.
He also revealed that over 800,000 academic projects submitted by students have been uploaded to the portal within four months of enforcement.
According to him, more than 250 universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education have been onboarded to the platform for real-time verification of academic credentials.
Also speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the NERD initiative, Olatunji Ariyomi, said the programme is aimed at preserving Nigeria’s historical and economic data.
“Countries that preserve their data from centuries ago are able to build on it today. If a nation does not preserve its data, then it loses part of its national identity,” he said.
The government said the initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Nigeria Digital Engineers, has already established over 1,000 digital service centres nationwide and created more than 3,000 jobs.
