Education
NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES RACE TO DIGITIZE THESES AS NEW NATIONAL DATABASE HITS 11,000 SUBMISSIONS
Nigeria’s education digitisation drive is gaining remarkable traction as students nationwide have uploaded over 11,000 academic projects and theses within the first month of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) going live. The initiative is a flagship programme of the Federal Ministry of Education.
Current data from the NERD analytics portal reveals Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, is leading the national effort with 990 curated entries. Bayero University, Kano follows closely with 611 submissions, while Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State holds third place with 532 entries.
Other institutions demonstrating strong early participation are Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma (493), Osun State Polytechnic, Iree (479), University of Ilorin (469), Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (462), Kaduna Polytechnic (379), University of Benin (374), and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (282). These institutions complete the top ten contributors.
The programme has successfully enrolled over 40,000 students onto its system. Nationwide participation includes 158 postgraduate entries from 242 active institutions.
An analysis of research themes shows a strong focus on Science and Innovation, which dominates submissions with 5,952 entries. This category also includes submissions from Arts and Social Sciences students exploring innovation-related themes. Other popular research areas are Multidisciplinary Studies (2,091), Engineering and Technology (1,958), Tourism and Entertainment (1,392), Infrastructure and Sustainable Development (952), and Humanities (783).
NERD, supervised by the Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, has also onboarded 135 tertiary institutions for academic credential verification, marking a significant step in combating certificate fraud.
Spokesperson Haula Galadima elaborated on the programme’s strategic goals. “Lecturers are likely to be more thorough in their supervision when they know their names will accompany those works — visible to researchers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs globally,” Galadima said. She added that the system now includes precision metrics to track earned allowances for academic supervision, helping government agencies quantify the volume of work done by lecturers outside regular duties.
The data also reveals a promising trend in gender participation, with female students submitting 6,142 entries compared to 4,995 from male students, highlighting growing female involvement in academic research and digitisation.
The NERD initiative is a key part of the Tinubu administration’s education reform, aiming to create a centralised digital archive of academic outputs from all Nigerian tertiary institutions. The Federal Government’s intention is to upgrade institutional quality and reduce research duplication without directly interfering in institutional autonomy.
The NERD portal currently provides open access to analytics through its Data Analytics and Open Platform dashboards. While the agency has asked the NYSC to exempt undergraduates whose clearance processes began before the October 6 enforcement date, students across the country continue to upload their theses hourly, demonstrating the programme’s rapid adoption.
In addition to thesis digitisation, NERD is implementing the National Academic Credential Verification programme and the National Students’ Clearing House, which will serve as the central post-admission record keeper for all Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The Federal Government has announced plans to abolish the Junior Secondary School Common Entrance Examination and introduce a nationwide Learner Identification Number system to track pupils throughout their academic journey.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the proposal during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, stating that the reforms are aimed at improving access to education and strengthening monitoring mechanisms across the country.
Under the proposed framework, the current common entrance examination will be phased out and replaced with a Continuous Assessment (CA) system. The minister explained that pupils would be evaluated based on their academic performance from primary one, allowing for seamless transfer of records when moving between schools.
Alausa said the reform is designed to address long-standing challenges in the transition from primary to secondary education, particularly the high number of pupils who fail to progress.
According to him, Nigeria has over 50,000 public primary schools with more than 23 million pupils, yet only slightly above three million transition to junior secondary school within the public system.
He described the gap as a reflection of limited access, noting that private schools cannot fully absorb the shortfall.
“The issue is simply lack of access,” he said, adding that the Federal Government is working with state governments to expand infrastructure and build more schools to accommodate the growing number of pupils.
To support the reform, the government plans to introduce a unique Learner Identification Number for every child from the primary school level. The number will remain with each pupil throughout their education, regardless of school transfers.
The system, the minister said, will enable authorities to track students’ progress and identify dropouts for timely intervention.
“If a child is expected to be in JSS1 and is not there, we will be able to determine the reason,” he added.
Alausa also revealed plans to revive the school feeding programme as part of efforts to boost enrolment and retention in public schools.
He noted that the programme may be placed under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education to improve monitoring and effectiveness.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts by the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the education sector, improve retention rates, and ensure more children complete basic education.
The Edo State Police Command has arrested students involved in a viral bullying incident at Igbinedion Education Centre, following widespread public outrage.
Police authorities confirmed that all individuals linked to the incident have been identified and taken into custody, with plans to charge them in a family court in line with juvenile justice and child protection laws.
The case gained national attention after disturbing videos surfaced online showing a student being physically assaulted by fellow students. In one of the clips, the victim was reportedly beaten, kicked, and humiliated while others watched and recorded the incident.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the violence stemmed from an earlier altercation between students. Authorities said a disagreement involving offensive remarks escalated into physical attacks, with a cycle of retaliation contributing to the incidents captured on video.
The Edo State Police spokesperson stated that the arrests followed a “thorough and painstaking investigation,” adding that all suspects would face legal proceedings in accordance with the law.
In response to the incident, the police have also intensified the “Operation Safe Schools” initiative across the state to address gaps in supervision and prevent similar occurrences.
The school management had earlier taken disciplinary action by expelling students directly involved, while the Edo State Ministry of Education condemned the act, describing it as unacceptable and contrary to the values of discipline and safety expected in schools.
Authorities have urged parents, guardians, and school administrators to take greater responsibility in guiding students and ensuring that grievances are handled through proper channels rather than violence.
Amnesty Programme Boosts Education: 220 Nigerians Studying in UK, 8,000 Enrolled Locally
The Federal Government has disclosed that no fewer than 220 Nigerians are currently studying in the United Kingdom under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), while over 8,000 beneficiaries are pursuing various academic programmes within Nigeria.
Established in 2009, the Presidential Amnesty Programme was designed to address militancy in the Niger Delta by disarming and rehabilitating former agitators. Over time, the initiative has evolved into a comprehensive platform focused on education, skills acquisition, and empowerment to promote sustainable peace and development in the region.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries receive fully funded scholarships covering tuition, accommodation, monthly stipends, and book allowances for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Participants are drawn from key Niger Delta states, including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.
In 2025 alone, the programme sponsored 161 beneficiaries for postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom, with an additional 34 deployed to various UK universities for the 2025–2026 academic session.
Administrator of the programme, Dennis Otuaro, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding the initiative, with a renewed focus on critical and emerging fields such as data science, cybersecurity, and energy law.
According to him, the goal is to build a knowledge-driven Niger Delta by equipping beneficiaries with relevant global skills that can contribute to national development.
The programme continues to play a key role in transforming lives and fostering stability in the oil-rich region, while also positioning Nigerian youths for global competitiveness.