Nigeria Automates Academic Certificate Verification Online

In Short

Nigeria has moved academic certificate verification fully online. Applicants no longer need to visit the Federal Ministry of Education in person.

What Happened

Nigeria has automated the evaluation and authentication of academic certificates, according to the Federal Ministry of Education.

This means academic credential evaluation and authentication can now be completed online, end to end. Credential evaluation checks what a certificate means and how it compares to local standards. Authentication confirms the document is genuine.

The Ministry said the goal is to reduce bureaucratic delays, speed up processing, and improve transparency. It also said the service is meant to work for applicants in Nigeria and in the diaspora.

Applicants are expected to use the official portal at essverify.education.gov.ng. Enquiries can be sent to ess1@education.gov.ng.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, linked the move to the government’s wider digital transformation agenda. The Ministry also framed it as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Why It Matters

For job seekers, students, and professionals, certificate verification is often a required step for admissions, licensing, and employment. Moving it online should reduce travel costs and time, especially for applicants outside Abuja.

For employers and institutions, an online process could make checks faster and more consistent. It also supports a more reliable audit trail, meaning there is a clearer record of who requested verification and when.

This automation also fits into a broader push to digitise Nigeria’s education records and credential systems. Earlier efforts, including the National Credential Verification Service and the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank programme, show the government is trying to make academic records easier to validate across agencies and schools.