How to verify your academic certificates online through FG’s portal

The Federal Government of Nigeria now offers an online platform, ESSVerify, operated by the Federal Ministry of Education, for verifying academic credentials and evaluating foreign qualifications. This initiative, fully digitized by April 2026, completely eliminates the need for physical visits to the Ministry.

Users can apply for authentication of Nigerian academic qualifications for purposes such as further studies, employment or migration. Alternatively, they can request evaluation of foreign qualifications for uses like employment, NYSC, or official purposes. The portal also supports the issuance of eligibility or proficiency letters for use in foreign admissions or employment, as well as letters of no objection for institutions or organizations seeking Ministry clearance for programs or partnerships.

To verify an ESS-issued document, users must visit the ESSVerify portal, select the 'Verify a document' option, enter the document number from the ESS-issued certificate or letter, and submit the request. The system will then verify the document's authenticity.

For authentication or evaluation of an academic certificate, users must create an account on the ESSVerify portal, complete their profile, log in, and select the appropriate service – Authentication, Evaluation, Eligibility/English Proficiency Letter, or Letter of No Objection. They need to provide personal and qualification details, select the documents to be processed, and make the necessary payment.

If an official transcript is required, contacts should be made with the awarding institution's registry to request direct transmission of the transcript to a designated email address.