A Nigerian leadership school has become the first academic institution in the country to offer a blockchain-based verification system for academic credentials.
The School of Politics, Policy, and Governance (SPPG) recently unveiled a new system to enhance the security and transparency of academic credentials. Announced at the Big Ideas Platform 2024, the new system was developed through the school’s partnership with blockchain data record firm VX Technologies and local lender Sterling Bank.
Under the new system, SPPG will record every new certificate on the blockchain, creating a tamper-proof digital signature that anyone can access to confirm academic credentials. In addition to preventing fraud, the new system allows students to easily share their credentials with potential employers digitally.
“The blockchain technology not only enhances security and transparency but also enables students to seamlessly share their verified academic credentials with potential employers or institutions without delays,” commented SPPG CEO Alero Ayida-Otobo.
He added, “We are one of the first institutions in Nigeria to embrace blockchain for academic credential management, and we look forward to a near future where this is the norm across Nigeria.”
Local researcher Oluseun Badejo led the project. In his presentation at the event, Badejo revealed that his team settled on blockchain technology because it prevents data alteration and manipulation.
“In Nigeria, blockchain addresses significant issues like certificate forgery, which has affected recent elections. Nigeria’s national blockchain policy, released in 2023, is a significant step forward,” he told the attendees.
“Today, I want to discuss how my team of students at SVG, along with Sterling Bank and VX Technologies, implemented the SPPG blockchain. Blockchain, a tamper-resistant ledger, is crucial due to its ability to prevent data alteration. This technology’s contribution to the global… pic.twitter.com/htBngXhHo5
— The School of Politics, Policy and Governance (@TheSPPG) May 25, 2024
Indeed, the forgery of academic credentials has become a significant challenge in Nigeria. Earlier this year, the Nigerian government announced that it would no longer recognize university degrees issued in Kenya and Uganda due to the proliferation of fake credentials. The two East African nations joined Togo and Benin, whose degrees Nigeria no longer recognizes.
SPPG will leverage AlphaDapp, VX Technologies’ simplest way to integrate blockchain into academic systems. AlphaDapp allows anyone to verify academic credentials by scanning a QR code, a process that’s otherwise lengthy and expensive, especially in African nations.
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