The Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this at the 2026 NYSC Certification Officers’ Workshop held in Abuja on Friday. The workshop focused on repositioning the certification process, addressing operational challenges and improving service delivery.

Nafiu urged certification officers to acquire the digital skills needed to operate effectively as the scheme prepares for the transition to an Electronic Documents and Records Management System (EDRMS).

Represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs Grace Ogbuogebe, the NYSC chief directed relevant officers to take deliberate steps towards transferring existing paper-based certificate production and issuance registers to the proposed electronic platform.

According to him, the digital system would make it easier to retrieve and track records, strengthen accountability and protect important documents against physical damage, loss and unauthorised alterations.

Nafiu also said the scheme would explore technological options, including biometric identification for issuing Certificates of National Service. He stressed, however, that such measures would be subject to the necessary technical assessments, approvals and safeguards.

He noted that maintaining public confidence in the NYSC certification process required high standards of accountability, transparency and service excellence. He added that the scheme would continue reviewing its procedures and strengthening measures designed to protect the integrity of its certificates.

The Director-General also warned against persistent challenges, including certificate forgery, racketeering, inconsistencies in records and delays in certificate issuance.

He said certification officers must work collectively to address these concerns while responding to growing demands for faster, more transparent and accessible services.

In his welcome address, the Director of the Corps Certification Department, Alhaji Abdullahi Jikamshi, said the workshop would examine key issues affecting certification and identify ways to improve service delivery.

Jikamshi explained that changing technology and emerging operational challenges made continuous adaptation, innovation and process improvement necessary. He cautioned that avoidable errors and delays could undermine the credibility the NYSC has built over more than five decades.

The proposed digitisation is expected to support more efficient certificate record management, although the NYSC has not specified a full implementation timeline in the announcement.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia