Education Minister Alausa Highlights Role of Data in National Development, Announces NERD Laureate Prize

N Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has underscored the importance of education and data in driving national development, describing them as essential tools for preserving research, documenting ideas, and safeguarding the intellectual heritage of the country.

The minister made the remarks while addressing participants at the 2026 National Capacity Building Programme on the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) Policy, which brought together NERD focal persons and institutional representatives from across the country.

According to Alausa, the NERD platform has made significant progress within a short period of operation. He revealed that in just four months, the system has preserved nearly 100,000 student submissions, onboarded more than 350 institutions, and registered over 133,000 students along with about 6,800 lecturers.

“Each academic record represents a piece of Nigeria’s knowledge and innovation. The NERD initiative is designed to ensure these records are securely preserved, verifiable, and accessible for future generations,” the minister said.

To further promote academic excellence, Alausa announced the approval of the NERD Annual National Laureate Prize, which will reward outstanding undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses with prizes ranging from ?5 million to ?20 million. The award is expected to commence in November 2026.

The minister also disclosed that compliance with the NERD policy has now become mandatory for students seeking participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or applying for exemption from the scheme.

In addition, tertiary institutions will be required to align with the policy to access services from key education and training agencies, including the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

Alausa urged NERD focal persons, institutional leaders, and partner agencies to ensure strict compliance with the policy, stressing that it is critical to protecting the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s academic records.

He added that the NERD initiative will play a significant role in preserving the country’s academic history, securing knowledge resources, and strengthening the foundation for future scholarship in Nigeria.