The Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) has achieved a notable milestone by surpassing 400,000 digitized academic submissions. In addition, the platform’s National Credential Verification Service (NCVS) has successfully verified more than 115,000 academic credentials.
As of September 2026, a total of 907 tertiary institutions are enrolled in the platform, with 629 actively participating. This initiative is part of the federal government’s efforts to build a central digital ecosystem that enhances academic research, credential verification, and institutional knowledge.
The latest data indicates that over 410,000 theses, dissertations, student projects, and other academic works have been submitted, predominantly from undergraduate research. The repository aims to preserve and improve access to the academic output of Nigerian institutions while offering an added layer of authentication through its credential verification service.
Enrollment spans various institution types, including 259 universities, 163 polytechnics, 179 monotechnics, and 178 colleges of education. The broad participation reflects the comprehensive nature of the federal government’s digitization initiative.
Currently, 2,020 faculties and 9,626 departments are registered on the platform, with more than 1,600 faculties and 5,300 departments showcasing their academic works. Notable universities contributing significant submissions include the University of Benin and Ahmadu Bello University, among others.
Undergraduate contributions dominate the repository, with 409,456 submissions compared to only 1,563 from postgraduate students. A gender breakdown reveals that female students accounted for 228,347 submissions, while male students submitted 181,536. The 25 to 29-year age group is the largest contributor, with research interests spanning various fields including the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and technology.
The growth of the repository is crucial for policymakers, providing insights into research trends and areas where students seek solutions to socio-economic challenges. The credential verification section enhances this function, offering a structured method for authenticating Nigerian academic qualifications, a necessity for employers and institutions worldwide.
This initiative aligns with the federal government’s broader plans to modernize Nigeria’s education sector, aiming to create a more responsive system that integrates education with skills development and economic productivity.
