By Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim, Goronyo
Reports from the newly established National Education Record Digitisation (NERD) programme have revealed that Nigerian students uploaded and curated over 11,000 academic projects within the first month of its launch.
According to a statement from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), more than 10,000 student projects were recorded within the first three weeks of the initiative, with submissions rising to 11,000 by the weekend. The uploads included 158 postgraduate entries from 242 active institutions, while over 40,000 students have so far been successfully enrolled on the platform.
The NERD scheme, unveiled recently by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, is designed to serve as a central digital archive for academic records and research outputs across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. So far, 135 institutions have been onboarded for academic credential verification, the agency said.
Data from the live analytics dashboard on the NERD portal showed Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, leading with 990 curated entries, followed by Bayero University, Kano, with 611 submissions. Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, ranked third with 532 entries, while Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma (493), Osun State Polytechnic, Iree (479), University of Ilorin (469), and Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (462) followed closely. Others on the top 10 list include Kaduna Polytechnic (379), University of Benin (374), and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (282).
In terms of research focus, Science and Innovation topped students’ project submissions with 5,952 entries. NERD noted that the figure included submissions from students outside traditional science disciplines, reflecting a growing multidisciplinary interest in innovation and technology-driven topics. Other major areas included Multidisciplinary Studies (2,091 entries), Engineering and Technology (1,958), Tourism and Entertainment (1,392), Infrastructure and Sustainable Development (952), and Humanities (783).
NERD’s spokesperson, Haula Galadima, said one of the Federal Government’s key objectives for the thesis digitisation and archiving initiative is to improve the quality of research supervision and promote academic accountability across Nigerian institutions. She explained that since each uploaded project is attributed to its supervising lecturer, the system is expected to encourage more thorough and responsible supervision.
“NERD now has precision metrics to track earned allowance computation in any institution in Nigeria,” Galadima said. “This will enable government to quantify the volume of supervisory work done by lecturers alongside their classroom, laboratory, and field engagements.”
The report also indicated a higher participation rate among female students, with 6,142 submissions, compared to 4,995 by their male counterparts.
For the first time since independence, Nigeria, under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, has embarked on a comprehensive national effort to digitise, classify, and organise academic research outputs from its tertiary institutions
According to the statement, “The goal is to enhance the quality of research, ensure accessibility for industry and academia, and position Nigeria as a measurable and accountable contributor to global knowledge.” Under NERD regulations, all academic outputs, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, must be deposited into the national databank, regardless of the institution’s ownership or status.
Through this initiative, the Federal Government aims to leverage NERD as a strategic tool to promote quality, transparency, and innovation in Nigeria’s higher education system without direct interference in institutional autonomy.