FG intensifies crackdown on fake certificates, issues nationwide enforcement deadline

John Alechenu

Pursuant to the persistent outcry by notable academics and reputable institutions, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has intensified its crackdown connected certificate racketeering and maltreatment of world honours.

Towards this end, it has directed a nationwide enforcement of the regulations arsenic contained successful the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) regarding world credential verification processes, effectual October 6.

This directive was contained successful a service-wide circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume (CON), dated 8th of August 2025, a transcript of which was sighted by our analogous successful Abuja connected Wednesday.

The circular stated that effectual from the 6th of October 2025, each Ministries, Department and Agencies arsenic good arsenic each higher institutions successful Nigeria, whether civilian, military, backstage oregon public, are to commence the implementation of an intensive but structured verification of the world credential of each unit and intending unit done the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS) of the NERD programme and thereafter guarantee compliance for each caller recruitment by obtaining an instant NCVS clearance affirming the authenticity of each world credential presented anyplace wrong the Federal Republic of Nigeria earlier confirmation of appointment.

The circular besides directed that, henceforth, an NCVS clearance becomes portion of the documentation for each employee.

The clearance is to, among different things, incorporate a nationalist credential fig (NCN) that belongs to that credential and ancillary papers information codes assigned to each verified and validated world credential for record-keeping purposes.

This large betterment implies that each certificate, diploma, honour, oregon grant paraded by anyone anyplace successful Nigeria indispensable beryllium earned from an accredited instauration and indispensable beryllium identifiable, traceable, verifiable, and validatable with the click of a button.

While the federation has had respective interventions successful the past, this caller directive departs from the accustomed reliance connected the affected bureau oregon an institution, but fundamentally establishes a caller authorities of prime assurance that is extracurricular the power of a azygous instauration oregon the accustomed culprits.

It invokes Section 10(1) of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions Act 1985) regarding governance of nationalist acquisition standards and the safeguard of world integrity and assigns the work for its enforcement to the recently established N.E.R.D., which was projected by the National Universities Commission (NUC) successful May 2023.

The National Credential Verification Service is simply a cardinal constituent of the NERD programme.

It was introduced to Nigerians by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, successful March 2025, pursuing his palmy memorandum that was approved by the Federal Executive Council, which heralded a National Proclamation and Declaration of Effectiveness for the NERD programme.

In the Declaration, Alausa announced the decisive “launch of the NCVS arsenic a systemic prime assurance cheque nationwide to curtail world fraud which threatens the integrity of the acquisition assemblage owed to the activities of merchants of fake degrees, qualification fraud, phoney certificates, arsenic good arsenic bogus unearned honours from unaccredited institutions and diploma mills.”

Ms Haula Galadima, the Executive Director successful complaint of Communication and Cybersecurity for the NERD programme noted successful an email that the assorted services of the NERD Programme are present ready.

She implored each post-secondary schools and tertiary institutions successful Nigeria, arsenic good arsenic MDAs and the organised backstage sector, to heed the directive of the Federal Government and enrol their NERD Focal Persons, Record and Digitisation Officers connected the agency’s website astatine ned.gov.ng/onboarding.

According to her, “NERD is simply a prime assurance tool. NERD is simply a federation initiative. NERD is the federation’s modular for higher acquisition digitisation with the nonsubjective of protecting nationalist information and prestige, acquisition integrity, and digitally enhancing the economical values of Nigeria’s acquisition for planetary competitiveness.”

Galadima stated fur...