By Becky Momodu
The Federal Government is considering introducing compulsory assessment tests for Nigerians who graduate from foreign universities as part of measures to verify their academic competence before mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The proposed assessment is aimed particularly at graduates of institutions in African countries, following concerns over the quality, credibility and authenticity of some foreign qualifications presented for recognition in Nigeria.
Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, disclosed this on Monday at the 37th meeting of the National Standing Committee (NSC) on Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications in Abuja.
She said the proposed test would help establish whether holders of foreign degrees had genuinely acquired the knowledge and skills reflected in their certificates.
“We must ensure that the standard of education in Nigeria is not lowered by allowing all manner of foreign qualifications that are not recognised to be paraded by Nigerians without the corresponding learning achievement,” she said.
Olatunji-David stressed that although the government encouraged international education and academic exchange, it would not compromise educational standards.
“Inasmuch as we want to encourage global socialisation, education, and the rest of them because the world is a global village now, we want to maintain standards,” she said.
She added that every certificate presented for recognition must reflect genuine academic achievement and produce graduates capable of contributing meaningfully to national development.
“I therefore invite this committee once again to consider, if necessary, an assessment test before such graduates are evaluated for NYSC,” she said.
The acting permanent secretary also expressed concern over the growing incidence of forged Nigerian and foreign degree certificates, noting that the ministry was taking steps to address the problem.
She described the National Standing Committee as critical to protecting Nigeria’s education system through the verification of foreign institutions and ensuring that only genuine qualifications from properly accredited institutions were recognised.
Olatunji-David further disclosed that the evaluation of foreign certificates and authentication of Nigerian qualifications had been automated and digitalised since the beginning of 2026 to make the process more efficient.
She said the ministry had also recorded progress in issuing clearance letters for NYSC mobilisation, authenticating certificates and providing no-objection letters, as well as eligibility and proficiency letters for Nigerians seeking employment or further studies abroad.
The committee is also expected to consider guidelines for issuing no-objection letters to organisations seeking to register proposed educational institutions with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Other issues scheduled for consideration include compliance by foreign-curriculum secondary schools operating in Nigeria with national examination requirements and the recognition of foreign secondary school qualifications, including Higher School Diplomas from the United States and Canada and Baccalaureate certificates from French schools.
She maintained that foreign-curriculum schools must prepare their students for examinations conducted by recognised Nigerian examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS, where applicable.
According to her, students must sit for at least one of the recognised examinations before graduation, irrespective of their intended destination for further studies.
