FG automates academic certificate verification, authentication process

The Federal Government has fully automated the evaluation and authentication of academic certificates, eliminating the need for applicants to visit the Federal Ministry of Education physically.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, describing the initiative as a major step in the government’s digital transformation agenda.

The new system allows applicants to complete the entire academic credential evaluation and authentication process online through the Ministry’s dedicated platform.

What the FG is saying

The Education Ministry, in its statement, said the new system was designed to improve transparency while providing more convenient services to Nigerians and applicants within and outside Nigeria.

• “The reform is designed to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, accelerate processing, improve transparency and provide more convenient services to Nigerians and applicants within and outside the country,” the ministry said.

Alausa said the initiative would also strengthen the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s academic certification system while enabling institutions, employers and other stakeholders to verify qualifications through a more structured and reliable process.

The minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to using technology to modernise education governance, improve institutional efficiency and deliver citizen-centred services.

How the new system works

Applicants can now access the credential evaluation and authentication service through the Ministry’s dedicated online platform.

Applicants are advised to use the official credential evaluation and authentication platform at essverify.education.gov.ng, while enquiries can be directed to ess1@education.gov.ng.

The ministry says the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to digitise public services.

Get up to speed

The Federal Government has been expanding the use of digital systems to strengthen the verification and management of academic credentials in Nigeria.

• In September 2025, the government announced the nationwide implementation of the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS) under the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) programme for staff and recruits across Ministries, Departments and Agencies and higher institutions.
• In March 2026, Nairametrics reported that NERD had digitised nearly 100,000 student submissions across more than 250 tertiary institutions, as the government expanded efforts to preserve and make academic records verifiable.
• The government also made NERD compliance mandatory for NYSC mobilisation.
• The Federal Government has also been expanding the use of digital systems across the wider education sector.

In June 2026, Nairametrics reported that the Federal Ministry of Education was preparing to launch the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), a platform designed to standardise education data management across all levels of schooling in Nigeria.

What you should know

The Federal Government has also been pursuing reforms aimed at expanding access to tertiary education and strengthening specialised training.

In August 2026, Nairametrics reported that the government was targeting 20,000 annual admissions into Nigerian medical schools within the next three years and planned to establish medical simulation centres across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

The initiative is aimed at expanding the healthcare workforce and increasing the capacity of Nigerian institutions to train medical professionals.