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Academic Integrity 7 min read October 2, 2026

Academic Integrity & Plagiarism Guide for Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

A comprehensive review of National Universities Commission (NUC) and NBTE originality requirements for polytechnic and university students across Nigeria.

E
Engr. Babatunde Olatunji
Senior Research Fellow

The Regulatory Landscape in Nigeria

Nigerian tertiary education—overseen by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for degree-granting universities and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for polytechnics—has intensified compliance standards regarding academic originality.

Under modern institutional regulations:

  • Final-year undergraduate dissertations (B.Sc, B.Tech, HND, ND) undergo mandatory originality verification prior to departmental defense.
  • Postgraduate theses (M.Sc, M.Phil, Ph.D.) must typically maintain a similarity score below 15%–20% to qualify for external examination.
  • High similarity scores can result in rejection of submissions, compulsory rewrite penalties, or disciplinary board inquiries.

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