NYSC to Adopt Digital Records System for National Service Certificates

NYSC to Adopt Digital Records System for National Service Certificates

… DG tasks certification officers to acquire digital skills as Scheme moves to curb forgery, delays …

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced plans to move to an electronic records management system, as its Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, charged certification officers to acquire the digital skills needed to improve efficiency and service delivery.

Nafiu gave the charge at the 2026 NYSC Certification Officers’ Workshop held in Abuja, themed “Repositioning NYSC Certification: Overcoming Challenges and Driving Seamless Service Delivery.”

He was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs Grace Ogbuogebe.

The Director-General directed that deliberate steps be taken to migrate paper-based Certificate of National Service production and issuance registers to an Electronic Documents and Records Management System (EDRMS).

He explained that a comprehensive digital archive would allow prompt retrieval and tracking of records, improve accountability, and protect vital documents against physical damage, loss and unauthorised alterations.

Nafiu said the Scheme must explore appropriate technological solutions, including biometric identification for issuing Certificates of National Service, subject to the necessary technical assessments, approvals and safeguards.

He said that as the nation expects the NYSC to maintain high standards of accountability and service excellence, the Scheme would continue to strengthen public confidence and protect the integrity of its certificates.

“We must remain vigilant against challenges such as certificate forgery and racketeering, discrepancies in records, delays in certificate issuance, and the growing demand for faster, more transparent and accessible services,” he said.

He added that the Scheme would continue to review its procedures and strengthen operational safeguards, stressing the importance of collective efforts in protecting the credibility of the certification process.

In his welcome address, the Director of the Corps Certification Department, Alhaji Abdullahi Jikamshi, said deliberations at the workshop would focus on critical areas aimed at improving service delivery.

He noted that although the Scheme had recorded significant milestones over the years, emerging operational challenges and changes in technology required continuous adaptation, innovation and process re-engineering.

“A single oversight or avoidable delay can damage the credibility that the NYSC has painstakingly built over five decades,” Jikamshi said.