The Federal Government has fully digitalised the process of authenticating and evaluating academic certificates.
Nigerians no longer need to visit the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja in person. Everything can be done online through the official ESSVerify portal.
The reform announced by the Ministry of Education, aims to reduce delays and improve transparency. It will also make the service more accessible for applicants both in Nigeria and abroad. 
What You Can Do on the Portal
• You can authenticate any Nigerian academic certificate
• Evaluate foreign degrees and qualifications
• Apply for Eligibility or English Proficiency Letters
• Request a Letter of No Objection
Employers, schools, and other organisations can also verify ESS-issued documents using a document number.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Authenticate Your Certificate
1. Visit the official portal: https://essverify.education.gov.ng
2. Create an account by clicking on “Start an application.” Make sure to use a valid email address, verify the email, and complete your profile.
3. Select the service you need. Choose from:
• Authentication
• Evaluation
• Eligibility/English Proficiency Letter
• Letter of No Objection
4. Fill in your details by providing your personal information and academic qualification details. Then select the documents to be processed and indicate the number of pages where required.
5. Make payment by generating a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) and pay the required fee. Note that payments made on the Portal via the RRR are non-refundable.
6. Upload clear, legible scanned copies of the required documents (degree certificates, statement of results, etc.).
7. Request an official transcript by contacting the registry of your awarding institution. Request that your academic transcript be sent directly from the school’s official email address to the ministry’s designated email.
Note that transcripts sent from personal email accounts will not be accepted.
8. Monitor your application by logging into your dashboard regularly to track the status of your application.
Once processing is complete, you can download the authenticated document.
How Employers and Institutions Can Verify Documents
If you already have an ESS-issued certificate or letter:
1. Visit https://essverify.education.gov.ng
2. Select the document verification option
3. Enter the document number printed on the certificate or letter
4. Click “Verify”
The system will confirm whether the document is genuine.
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