African countries can achieve significant success in recording and validating academic records using blockchain technology.
By Michael Akuchie
On September 18, 2018, Kemi Adeosun, who, at the time, was Nigeria’s Finance Minister, submitted a resignation letter to Muhammadu Buhari, who was the country’s president. Adeosun’s decision to step aside was prompted by a startling revelation that she did not participate in the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme but still had a certificate to show for it.
According to a Premium Times report, the certificate in question was forged and should not have been accepted by the Senate screening committee during the vetting process of Buhari’s ministerial nominees. Adeosun’s case is far from isolated: politicians across Africa have been caught up in similar forgery scandals, from Nigeria’s current President Bola Tinubu to Ayachi Zamel, a former Tunisian presidential candidate; the list goes on.
Even the youths, who form the bulk of university seekers, are not immune to this problem. In April 2025, Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) shared that it had discovered 585 fake A/Level certificates. For context, an A/Level certificate holder can bypass the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Exam (UTME) and head on to Year 2 in the university.
A certificate can be forged in various ways. For example, an individual might obtain a fraudulent secondary school leaving certificate by bribing corrupt officials within the examination body. In other cases, the forger need not involve anyone else: using Adobe Photoshop or similar design tools, they can produce a document that appears authentic to the untrained eye.
Now, imagine if Nigeria, and other African nations, had a dependable system for verifying academic credentials. Employers and educational institutions could instantly confirm whether a prospective employee’s or student’s records are genuine. Fortunately, such a solution already exists, underpinned by blockchain technology.
Blockchain has stepped up from being a buzzword to solving real-life problems like land dispute issues across Africa. Systems built using blockchain technology have been used to eliminate the difficulties often associated with land ownership and property management in Africa feel less strenuous than before. Previously, a person would purchase a plot of land and have no way of confirming that they were the actual owners of the land. All they would have is the word of the seller, who claims the land is theirs to sell. However, many countries in Africa are notorious for land disputes that can drag on for years in courtrooms.
Through blockchain, a prospective buyer can easily confirm if the potential seller truly has the right to sell the property as the owner. Upon purchase, the buyer can register the land, and once this is recorded on the blockchain network, it becomes virtually impossible for it to be altered, as each transaction is time-stamped and can be viewed once the record is pulled up. Rwanda is a pioneer in this regard as it has started leveraging blockchain technology to improve the quality of land transactions.
African countries can achieve significant success in recording and validating academic records using blockchain technology. Unlike paper certificates, which can easily be edited, forgers will have a difficult time trying to make changes to certificates stored on the blockchain. Among the several benefits that this initiative offers, it is worth mentioning that employers will make quicker hiring decisions as the certificates of potential workers can easily be pulled up from the blockchain-based registry.
It also eliminates the manual verification process, a method that is not only time-consuming but also requires significant manpower and money to manage. It will also make it easy for international institutions like universities to access and verify an African-based applicant’s academic records.
Students looking to study abroad have to submit their transcripts to independent records evaluation bodies like World Education Services (WES) for thorough review before a graduate or undergraduate program processes their applications. This ends up costing students money and time. If a blockchain-based system is in place, schools can easily request the student’s transcripts and be assured that they are getting authentic documents.
But most importantly, implementing this style of verification will restore trust in Africa’s educational system. Plagued by persistent challenges such as poor funding, overcrowded classrooms, outdated laboratory instruments, and corruption, universities across Africa struggle to compete with their counterparts in regions such as Europe and North America. With blockchain guaranteeing original academic records, African universities will be a step closer to discouraging the narrative that they are a breeding ground for certificate forgery.
Countries such as South Africa and Tunisia have taken significant steps towards adopting blockchain-powered systems for certificate verification. In 2023, Nigeria announced that it would validate NYSC certificates using blockchain, but the project has yet to materialise.
While the idea of a trustworthy certificate verification system sounds appealing, certain factors may prevent widespread adoption across Africa. To carry out a project of this magnitude, African institutions will need to invest heavily in data storage systems and strong internet connectivity.
Given Africa’s current internet woes, it is difficult to see the continent making progress in the next few years unless its leaders take a drastic decision. Setting aside capital for acquiring data storage hubs and upgrading their internet systems will go a long way in preparing African institutions for implementing blockchain in the certificate verification process.
Beyond the physical infrastructure, many African countries lack the technical expertise needed to efficiently manage blockchain-based platforms. So even if the platforms are built, who will run them efficiently? As such, the education ministries across the continent should invest in upskilling workers to help them come to terms with the new technology.
As expected, politicians, especially those with criminal tendencies, will oppose the adoption of blockchain technology as it threatens their illegal operations. If implemented, it will become nearly impossible for these individuals to benefit from a corrupt system. The parliaments across Africa should develop harsh punishments for anyone convicted of certificate forgery, whether directly or indirectly involved. The fear of long-term imprisonment should deter the bad eggs.
Africa remains poised to benefit greatly from technological advancements in education, healthcare, and many other sectors. The issue of certificate forgery has done great harm to the continent’s image, and if a solution that can remedy the situation exists, it is expected that well-meaning leaders will endeavour to implement it across all areas. Although it requires a hefty investment, blockchain technology can help build a reliable verification system for academic records that employers and foreign institutions will respect for decades.
Michael Akuchie is a tech journalist with five years of experience covering cybersecurity, AI, automotive trends, and startups. He reads human-angle stories in his spare time. He’s on X (fka Twitter) as @Michael_Akuchie & michael_akuchie on Instagram.
Cover image credit: i2B