End of the Road for Fake Degrees as FG Sets October 6 Deadline for Certificate Verification

The Federal Government has announced that a nationwide clampdown on fake certificates will commence on October 6, 2025, making verification clearance mandatory for all public and private sector employment.

The directive, issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, mandates every Ministry, Department, Agency, and higher institution in Nigeria to verify the academic credentials of all current and prospective staff through the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS).

According to a circular dated August 8 and made public on Wednesday, the new rule signals a zero-tolerance policy for certificate forgery. “Effective from October 6, 2025… no appointment will be confirmed without NCVS clearance affirming the authenticity of academic qualifications presented,” Akume stated.

The NCVS is a key component of the National Policy for the Nigerian Education Repository and Databank (NERD). Each clearance generated by the system will carry a unique National Credential Number and security codes, ensuring that every certificate presented in Nigeria is “identifiable, traceable, verifiable, and validated at the click of a button.”

Akume explained that this reform moves away from the previous, often vulnerable, system of relying on individual institutions for verification. Instead, it establishes a centralized, national quality assurance mechanism designed to be insulated from compromise.

The initiative, which derives its authority from the Education Act of 1985, was described by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, as a critical measure to protect the integrity of the country’s education system and combat the scourge of fake degrees and bogus honours.

Haula Galadima, Executive Director of Communication and Cybersecurity for NERD, confirmed that the agency’s services are ready for nationwide deployment. She urged all sectors to enrol their designated officers via the NERD website, describing the platform as the nation’s official one-stop shop for data consistency.

“NERD is a federation initiative and the federal standard for higher education digitisation, designed to protect national security and prestige, ensure education integrity, and digitally enhance the economic value of Nigeria’s education for global competitiveness,” Galadima said.