The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given the green light for the establishment of the National Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD) system, a centralized electronic platform for educational records.
Minister Tahir Mamman, announcing the approval, emphasized NERD’s role as a ‘one-stop shop for educational information’ and its potential to enhance the integrity of academic records. The NERD system, endorsed by key stakeholders since 2014, aims to preserve, exchange, and commercialize informative content.
Mamman, represented by Permanent Secretary Andrew Adejo, highlighted the collaboration with institutions like the National Universities Commission and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. An issued communique outlined NERD’s functions, including facilitating data exchange between institutions like NYSC and ITF.
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The private sector is set to operate NERD, aiming for efficiency and sustainability. The communique stressed the need for legal clauses to prevent interference due to political changes. Despite the government’s assurance of improved data preservation and collaboration, concerns linger about potential interference.
Stakeholders, including the National Librarian and the Director General of NYSC, were present at the engagement. The NERD scheme is expected to conduct workshops nationwide to train relevant personnel.