Determinants of Blockchain Adoption for Academic Certificate Verification: Insights from Verification Officers for Sustainable Education in Nigerian Higher Education Institutions

• Usman A. ALI

  Department of Computer Science Education, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Nigeria

  Author

• Munir A. ADEWOYE

  Department of Computer Science Education, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Nigeria

  Author

• Adamu U. ABDULLAHI

  Department of Computer Science Education, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Nigeria

  Author

Academic credential fraud and slow, unreliable verification practices remain major challenges for higher education institutions around the world. Blockchain technology has long been proposed as a viable answer because of its decentralized, transparent, and tamper-proof nature. Yet, despite its clear strengths, the rate at which institutions are actually embracing blockchain for sustainable education is still very low. In Nigeria, especially, there is limited understanding of how prepared certificate verification units are to adopt such technology. This survey explored the views of 14 verification officers drawn from 10 tertiary institutions in Gombe State, Nigeria. Data were gathered using a validated 20 items questionnaire that assessed current verification practices, existing challenges, awareness of blockchain, and key factors influencing adoption. The instrument demonstrated good reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.813. Findings revealed that most institutions still rely on manual verification methods (M = 3.64), which are slow and vulnerable to fraud. Although respondents showed strong awareness of blockchain technology (M = 3.68) and acknowledged its advantages, they also pointed to notable obstacles. The most pressing barriers were the high cost of implementation (M = 3.93) and the urgent need for staff training (M = 4.50). Overall, the study offers valuable empirical insights into institutional readiness and highlights specific adoption challenges from the perspective of verification officers. The result indicates that government involvement will be crucial, particularly through supportive policies, dedicated fundings, and structured capacity building programs. These findings contribute to ongoing conversations on digital transformation within higher education settings in developing regions.

• FJET_21_11_11

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