Persons intending to travel to a country outside Nigeria for study or work purposes are sometimes required to attest or authenticate their academic and professional certificates and obtain a letter of eligibility for admission to higher education. The body tasked with the duty of carrying out this attestation is the Evaluation and Accreditation Division of the Education Support Services Department in the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja. A letter of eligibility is issued after the due attestation of academic documents such as certificates and transcripts.

The documents required for attestation at the Federal Ministry of Education depend on the certificates sought to be authenticated. The general requirements are as follows:

  1. A copy of the certificate to be attested (e.g. WAEC. NECO, NABTEB, National Diploma, Higher National Diploma, Degree, Masters degree & PhD)
  2. Transcript (where applicable)
  3. ID card for professionals such as Nursing, Doctors, Medical Laboratory
  4. Evidence of payment of the prescribed fees

An Applicant who wishes to attest a higher institution certificate(e.g. National Diploma, Higher National Diploma, Degree, Masters degree & PhD) must accompany same with a copy of the Senior School Certificate Examination result that was used to gain admission to higher institution. Upon successful attestation, the Federal Ministry of Education issues to the applicant-

  1. A copy of the attested Certificate with the official sticker and seal of the Federal Ministry of Education affixed.
  2. A Letter of Eligibility duly signed and stamped.

Conclusively, the letter of eligibility is issued after the due attestation of the academic certificates. The letter is written by the Federal Ministry of Education and addressed to the Ambassador of the foreign country in Nigeria and states that the academic qualification awarded to the applicant is awarded by a recognized institution and qualifies the applicant for admission into postgraduate studies in any Nigerian University in a similar field.

By Tolulope Ayika, an Associate at Resolution Law Firm

Email: info@resolutionlawng.com