Nigeria to issue blockchain-verifiable certificates for NYSC
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), revealed that blockchain technology will be used for the generation and validation of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates in Nigeria.The NYSC is a Nigerian program that requires graduates under the age of 30 to undergo a one-year period of national service involving community development projects and cross-cultural integration. The statement was released on the occasion of the policy dialogue with the stakeholders, focused on the implementation of the national blockchain policy. The meeting was organized by NITDA in collaboration with the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria (SiBAN).
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general of NITDA, during the event. Source: YouTube The NITDA Chief Executive noted that the NYSC certificate has been subject to significant counterfeiting in Nigeria. As a result, the CEO approached the NITDA for assistance and a mutual agreement was reached to help build a blockchain-based certificate authentication system. This initiative aims to host all NYSC certificates on the blockchain, providing people with the means to easily verify and authenticate them. Additionally, Abdullahi outlined the plan to provide individuals who have successfully completed training programs under the NITDA with supported certificates. by blockchain technology. He also underlined the willingness of the Central Bank of Nigeria to collaborate with the broader ecosystem. According to the head of NITDA, blockchain has significant economic potential and a tangible avenue to delve into the broad prospects of blockchain technology and its application in the issuing of certificates. Abdullahi said:
“I believe that blockchain, with the ability to add $1.7 trillion to global GDP, will be a good technology for Nigeria to exploit. And if we position ourselves well based on the BWC report, Nigeria can add about $40 billion to the its GDP by 2030″.
A prominent voice of the meeting was that of Obinna Iwuno, president of SiBAN, who expressed a positive view on the future prospects of the sector. He stressed that the government has embraced a broader view of our industry and its future potential. As a result, it has started to adopt a general and expansive viewpoint, expressing its readiness to forge even stronger partnerships with SiBAN, with the aim of ensuring a solid expansion of the sector.
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