Alausa: Digital Education Reforms Will End Certificate Fraud, Protect Genuine Graduates
Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has said the Federal Government’s digital transformation of Nigeria’s education system will strengthen certificate verification, eliminate certificate racketeering and ensure that genuine graduates are not denied opportunities due to administrative inconsistencies.
Alausa disclosed this on Tuesday during a meeting with the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu in Abuja, where both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to deploying technology to improve the integrity of academic records and graduate verification.
He explained that the Nigerian Education Repository Data Bank (NERD) is already verifying university certificates, maintaining learner records and supporting tertiary institutions through dedicated help desks, while the Nigerian Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) will integrate students’ academic records from admission through graduation.
Alausa also revealed that discussions were ongoing to develop an Application Programming Interface (API) linking the Ministry and NYSC, allowing faster verification of graduates and seamless exchange of educational records.
He noted that the ministry has fully digitised several education support services, including certificate verification and processes involving foreign-trained graduates, to reduce delays and minimise opportunities for fraud.
The minister identified inconsistencies in names, issues involving graduates of part-time National Diploma programmes and Higher National Diploma admissions for NCE holders as some of the administrative challenges the reforms seek to resolve.
To address the issues permanently, Alausa said the ministry would collaborate with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other agencies to establish a national Learner Identification Number and harmonise identity records across education and government databases.
He also said the government had intensified efforts to curb examination malpractice and question leakage, adding that similar technology-driven safeguards would be extended across tertiary institutions.
Speaking during the meeting, NYSC Director-General Brig.-Gen. Nafiu commended the ministry’s reforms and pledged the scheme’s continued support for the digital transformation agenda.
Nafiu disclosed that the scheme was already working with NERD in line with Federal Executive Council directives and expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with the ministry to strengthen graduate verification systems.
About the Author
Korede Abdullah 
