NO NERD, NO NYSC MINISTER OF EDUCATION IMPLEMENT NEW RULES
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HOTJIST NEWS
The Federal Government has once again shown its strong support for making sure academic records are honest and that schools follow the right rules. This is part of bigger changes meant to protect the trust people have in the country‘s education system.
The government also said it has taken strong actions to stop fake certificates, after learning that some Nigerians got degrees from unapproved schools abroad.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, shared this information on Thursday during his speech at a national meeting for school leaders.
The meeting was held to help carry out the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank.
The event, with the theme ‘Strengthening Institutional Compliance and Academic Records Integrity,’ was meant to help schools follow rules better and make sure their academic records are correct, safe, and real.
The minister spoke to the participants and highlighted how important accurate data is for running the government and making policies.
“I have this quote right in my office that I read every day. Data is the lifeblood of effective governance. It enables us to understand the challenges we face, so that we can design and implement effective solutions, as well as monitor and evaluate our progress.
“Without data, we are flying blind. And that is not what this government is about,” he said.
The minister also praised President Bola Tinubu for pursuing what he described as difficult but necessary reforms.
“We have seen this president take difficult decisions. Our country is being transformed like it’s never been before. Positive transformation in a way that is laying our country on the path of sustainability,” he said.
The minister said NERD is a key national system meant to make academic records digital, standard, and official across all higher learning institutions in the country.
Tunji explained that the platform will handle national credential numbers, a service to cancel fake qualifications, a system to track student records, and a shared database for academic theses and summaries.
It will also include a national database for academic papers and their indexes.
Alausa mentioned that within four months of the system being active, it had saved almost 100,000 digital student papers and joined more than 250 universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education for real–time verification of qualifications.
“More than 133,000 students and over 6,800 lecturers are now enrolled on the platform, supported by over 655 focal persons nationwide,” he said.
He added that more than 1,000 digital service centres had been established in partnership with Nigeria Digital Entrepreneurs, generating over 3,000 jobs within four months.
The minister also disclosed that the government had acted swiftly after receiving reports of Nigerians acquiring fake degrees from dubious institutions abroad.
Tunji explained, “Let me emphasize that education is a covenant between the State and its citizens. When a certificate is issued, it is not merely paper; it is a national guarantee that due process was followed and standards were upheld. That guarantee is only as strong as the integrity of our record-keeping systems.
“Before President Tinubu came into government, there was a whistleblower who reported about Nigerians going to the Republic of Benin to study. Some people were getting PhD certificates in just six months, universities that never existed, universities in one-room apartments, giving certificates.
“But today, I can report to you that we moved quickly as a government. Based on the President’s directive, we conducted full investigations. That has been put to a complete stop. And all of those people that got those illegal certificates have all been thrown out of our civil service, public service.”
Alausa further announced the establishment of the NERD Annual National Laureate Prize and Awards Program to recognize outstanding academic research.
“To further promote academic excellence, I have approved the establishment of the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank Annual National Laureate Prize and Awards Program, which will reward outstanding undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses, with prizes ranging from five million to twenty million naira,” he said, adding that the maiden edition would take place in November.
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