- Nigeria is embracing blockchain technology to simplify the issuance of National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) certificates, aiming to address the persistent issue of forgery and enhance the authenticity of credentials.
- The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is partnering with the Central Bank to implement policies under the upcoming National Blockchain Policy.
- The use of blockchain enables individuals and businesses to reliably verify document authenticity, a significant step as NYSC certificates are crucial for hiring.
Nigeria’s government is taking a tech-savvy approach to streamline its National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) certificates by utilizing blockchain technology. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) hosted a policy meeting to discuss the upcoming National Blockchain Policy, revealing plans to collaborate with the Central Bank on various policies in the near future.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of NITDA, highlighted that blockchain technology will address the long-standing issue of forgery and associated challenges tied to NYSC certificates, which have been a point of contention since the program’s inception.
The NYSC program mandates that Nigerian graduates under the age of 30 contribute a year of national service. Over time, these certificates have sparked debates due to concerns about forgery. This has even led to high-ranking politicians resigning from their positions due to certificate-related discrepancies.
NITDA to verify NYSC certificates with blockchain techhttps://t.co/7PVKXhadm3
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The decision has been met with enthusiasm from the Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN) and its stakeholders. They commend the government’s efforts and the NYSC Director General for modernizing the nation’s record-keeping practices.
By leveraging blockchain technology, both individuals and companies will have the means to verify the authenticity of each document. This move is particularly significant as some employers require NYSC certificates for hiring purposes. The digitization of these certificates will offer a more efficient and reliable way to verify credentials.