NERD Digitizes 100,000 Academic Records in Nigeria

The National Educational Research and Development (NERD) has successfully digitized nearly 100,000 academic records from 250 tertiary institutions in Nigeria within four months. This initiative, disclosed by Boriowo Folasad, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education on March 6, 2026, is part of a broader government effort to combat the rising cases of certificate fraud in the country.

The Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, emphasized the importance of this digitization in safeguarding academic credentials and strengthening educational data governance. The initiative is also aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's reform agenda, providing reliable digital preservation and verification of academic records.

Additionally, Alausa announced the approval of NERD's annual National Laureate Prize to reward outstanding academic research. Compliance with NERD policies will be required for programs exempt from previous reports, ensuring that Nigerian graduates upload their theses and project reports to the national academic repository.