A Nigerian leadership school has become the first academic institution in the country to offer a blockchain-based academic credential verification system.
The School of Politics, Policy, and Governance (SPPG) recently unveiled a new system to improve the security and transparency of academic credentials. The new system, announced at the Big Ideas Platform 2024, was developed through the school’s partnership with blockchain data recording company VX Technologies and local lender Sterling Bank.
Under the new system, SPPG will register each 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 offers students the opportunity to easily share their login details digitally with potential employers.
“Blockchain technology not only improves security and transparency, but also allows students to share their verified academic credentials with potential employers or institutions seamlessly and without delay,” said Alero Ayida-Otobo, CEO of SPPG.
He added: “We are one of the first institutions in Nigeria to embrace blockchain for the management of academic qualifications, 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 opted for blockchain technology because it prevents alteration and manipulation of data.
“In Nigeria, blockchain is addressing key issues such as certificate forgery, which affected the recent elections. Nigeria’s National Blockchain Policy, released in 2023, is an important step forward,” he told the audience.
“Today I would like to discuss how my team of students at SVG, together with Sterling Bank and VX Technologies, implemented the SPPG blockchain. Blockchain, a tamper-proof ledger, is critical because of its ability to prevent data alteration. The contribution of this technology to the global… pic.twitter.com/htBngXhHo5
— The School for Politics, Policy and Governance (@TheSPPG) May 25, 2024
The forgery of academic degrees has become a major problem in Nigeria. Earlier this year, the Nigerian government announced it would no longer recognize university degrees from Kenya and Uganda due to the spread of fake IDs. The two East African countries joined Togo and Benin, whose diplomas Nigeria no longer recognizes.
SPPG will use AlphaDapp, VX Technologies’ easiest way to integrate blockchain into academic systems. AlphaDapp allows anyone to verify academic credentials by scanning a QR code, a process that is otherwise lengthy and expensive, especially in African countries.
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