NERD repository records over 410,000 academic submissions, verifies 115,000 credentials

Beyond its role as a digital archive, the platform is increasingly being positioned as part of a broader effort to strengthen the authentication and accessibility of academic qualifications.

Universities, Polytechnics Drive Adoption

Participating institutions cut across the university, polytechnic, monotechnic and college of education systems.

Of the 907 institutions enrolled, 259 are universities, 163 polytechnics, 179 monotechnics, 178 colleges of education, while 130 fall under other categories.

The platform has also recorded participation from 2,020 faculties and 9,626 departments. More than 1,600 faculties and 5,300 departments already have academic works visible on the repository.

Among institutions with significant volumes of submissions are the University of Benin, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Ekiti State University, University of Calabar and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Several polytechnics, including Kwara State Polytechnic, Kaduna Polytechnic, Auchi Polytechnic, Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa and Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, have also recorded notable participation, indicating that adoption is gradually extending beyond the university system.

Student Research Accounts For Majority Of Submissions

Data as of September 4 showed that undergraduate submissions stood at 409,456, compared with 1,563 postgraduate submissions.

Female students accounted for 228,347 submissions, while 181,536 were attributed to male students. A further 77 submissions were uncategorised.

Students aged between 25 and 29 constituted the largest contributor group, followed by those between 20 and 24 years.

The academic works cover disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, humanities, law, education and technology. The repository also reflects growing interest in innovation and technology-related subjects across several fields.

The volume and diversity of submissions could provide policymakers with a valuable pool of information on research being undertaken in Nigerian tertiary institutions and areas where students are developing potential solutions to economic and social challenges.

The NCVS component is expected to complement the repository by providing a structured mechanism for authenticating academic qualifications and assigning National Credential Numbers to verified credentials.

With more than 115,000 credentials already verified, the service could support employers, government agencies, foreign institutions and other organisations seeking to establish the authenticity of Nigerian academic qualifications.

The development is part of the Federal Government’s broader push to modernise Nigeria’s education sector through digital systems while strengthening the connection between education, research, skills development and economic productivity.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has repeatedly emphasised the need to make Nigeria’s education system more responsive to national development requirements, including through greater use of technology and improved research outcomes.

Another initiative associated with the broader research agenda is the National Laureate Programme, which seeks to identify and recognise research with practical applications while encouraging the transformation of promising academic discoveries into commercially viable products and services.