The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says it will soon migrate to an electronic records management system as part of efforts to improve certificate issuance, protect official documents and strengthen accountability. The Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this at the 2026 NYSC Certification Officers’ Workshop in…...
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says it will soon migrate to an electronic records management system as part of efforts to improve certificate issuance, protect official documents and strengthen accountability.
The Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this at the 2026 NYSC Certification Officers’ Workshop in Abuja, where he urged officers responsible for certification to acquire the digital skills needed for the transition.
Nafiu, who was represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Grace Ogbuogebe, also said the scheme was considering the use of biometric identification in issuing Certificates of National Service, subject to technical assessments and the necessary approvals.
“We must explore and adopt appropriate technological solutions, including biometric identification for the issuance of Certificates of National Service, subject to the necessary technical assessments, approvals and safeguards,” he said.
According to a statement by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the director-general directed officers to take deliberate steps to move paper-based certificate production and issuance registers to an Electronic Documents and Records Management System (EDRMS).
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Nafiu said the proposed digital archive would make it easier to retrieve and track records, improve accountability and protect important documents from physical damage, loss and unauthorised alterations.
He added that the scheme would continue reviewing its procedures and strengthening safeguards to protect the integrity and credibility of its certification process.
“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.
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The director-general’s remarks came amid efforts to improve the efficiency of the NYSC certification process and respond to growing demands for more accessible public services.
The workshop, themed “Repositioning NYSC Certification: Overcoming Challenges and Driving Seamless Service Delivery,” brought together certification officers to discuss ways to address operational challenges and improve service delivery.
In his welcome address, the Director of the Corps Certification Department, Abdullahi Jikamshi, said the discussions would focus on key areas requiring improvements in the certification process.
He noted that despite the scheme’s achievements over the years, emerging operational challenges and technological changes required continuous adaptation and innovation.
“The changing technological landscape and emerging operational hurdles require us to adapt, innovate and re-engineer our processes,” Jikamshi said.
He warned that lapses in the certification process could undermine public confidence in the scheme.
“A single oversight or avoidable delay can damage the credibility that the NYSC has painstakingly built over five decades,” he said.