The Federal Ministry of Education has moved the authentication and evaluation of academic credentials to a fully online system, meaning applicants no longer need to visit the ministry physically for verification.

The system, available through the ministry’s official ESSVerify portal, allows applicants to submit documents, make payments and track their applications online. The ministry says the reform is intended to improve efficiency, transparency and the integrity of academic records.

The Federal Ministry of Education announced in April 2026 that authentication and evaluation of academic credentials would be handled entirely online.

The announcement was issued on April 15 by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade. The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation subsequently published the announcement on April 16.

Under the system, applicants use the ministry's official portal, essverify.education.gov.ng, to create an account, select the required service, provide their qualification details, pay the applicable fee and upload supporting documents.

The ministry's current instructions confirm that applicants are not required to visit its offices physically for verification.

The process covers several services, including:

- Evaluation of foreign qualifications for purposes such as employment and NYSC mobilisation.
- Authentication of Nigerian qualifications for further studies or other official purposes abroad.
- Eligibility or English proficiency letters.
- Letters of no objection for qualifying institutions and organisations.

Applicants whose applications require transcripts must also arrange for their awarding institution to send the official transcript directly from an institutional email address to the ministry.

The ministry's current website lists separate addresses for evaluation and authentication transcripts and says transcripts sent by applicants themselves are not accepted.

The change removes a major physical component from the credential verification process.

For Nigerians applying for jobs, further education, migration-related opportunities or other services requiring authenticated academic documents, the online system means much of the application can now be completed remotely.

It is particularly relevant to Nigerians outside the country who need Nigerian qualifications authenticated, as the ministry says the application process is fully online.

The reform also gives institutions and other organisations a digital way to verify documents already processed through the ministry. The official portal includes a document-verification function for checking ESS-issued documents.

The government has linked the digitisation to broader efforts to improve academic-record management and protect the credibility of Nigerian qualifications.

In March 2026, the Federal Government also announced the deployment of the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD), a separate digital initiative aimed at securing, digitising and authenticating academic records across tertiary institutions.

Is this a new announcement?

Not exactly.

Although Vanguard reported the development on September 8, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Education originally announced the full automation on April 15, 2026. The announcement was independently reported by NAN, Punch, Channels Television and other outlets at the time.

The development remains relevant because the ministry's current online portal and official service instructions show that the system is operational.

Do applicants still need to visit the ministry?

For the online authentication and evaluation process, the ministry says no. Applicants can complete the process electronically through the official portal.

How does the process work?

Applicants create an account on the ESSVerify portal, choose the relevant service, enter their information, select the documents being submitted, generate a Remita payment reference and make the required non-refundable payment.

After payment is confirmed, applicants upload clear copies of their documents. Where an official transcript is required, the awarding institution must send it directly to the ministry from its official email address.

Can applicants send their own transcripts?

No.

The ministry's current instructions specifically say that required transcripts must come directly from the awarding institution. Transcripts sent by applicants are not accepted.

What about WAEC and NECO results?

The ministry says WAEC and NECO results are verified online through the relevant examination bodies' APIs using a valid scratch-card PIN purchased by the applicant.

The move is part of a wider digitalisation of Nigeria's education-record systems.

In March, the Federal Government announced NERD, describing it as national digital infrastructure intended to secure and authenticate academic records across universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education.

The credential-authentication system announced in April addresses a different part of the process: it provides an online route for people and organisations that need academic qualifications evaluated or authenticated by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The ministry's current ESSVerify portal describes the service as fully online, from application through document submission and tracking.

Applicants who need credential evaluation or authentication can now use the ministry's online system rather than travelling to its offices for physical verification.

The ministry's current guidance also requires applicants to ensure that uploaded documents are clear and that the number of pages declared during payment matches the documents submitted. Payments are described as non-refundable.

The main practical requirement for applicants remains coordination with their awarding institution where an official transcript is required.

The online system is therefore not simply a digital form: the ministry still requires direct institutional verification for applicable qualifications.

Nigeria's academic credential authentication process has shifted from a predominantly physical procedure to an online system operated by the Federal Ministry of Education.

While the policy was first announced in April 2026 rather than September, the ministry's current portal confirms that applicants can now initiate and manage authentication and evaluation applications online. The effectiveness of the reform will depend in part on how efficiently applicants, educational institutions and the ministry use the new digital process.