TL;DR: African countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia are expanding their digitalization efforts in education and digital ID. Elsewhere, in Central Asia, Kazakhstan is looking to launch a tenge-pegged stablecoin and has announced two tokenization efforts.
Key Takeaways:
- Nigeria aims to fully digitize the authentication and verification of academic certificates.
- Ethiopia plans to expand its National Digital ID Program to Zambia, Mozambique, and Burundi.
- Kazakhstan has launched KZtg, a tenge-pegged stablecoin on Telegram.
- Additionally, Kazakhstan plans to tokenize the $50 million Iconic Tower complex by the end of 2026.
Table of Contents:
Nigeria to digitalize academic credential verification
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education has announced a new process to fully authenticate academic certificates digitally, capping several months of coordinated work to implement it. The digital reform comes amid growing global momentum for digital credential verification.
According to a post on X on September 8, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, said that the move is a major step to Nigeria’s digital transformation. Under the new system, applicants may complete the entire credential evaluation and authentication process online via a dedicated government platform.
“The Federal Ministry of Education has announced the full automation of academic certificate evaluation and authentication, eliminating the need for applicants to visit the Ministry physically,” the Federal Ministry of Education said.
The ministry said this reform aims to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, improve processing and transparency, and provide better services to Nigerians and applicants both inside and outside the country.
Before the move, graduates and job seekers in the African nation faced significant travel expenses and administrative delays when seeking physical stamps and manual validations for their degrees from tertiary institutions. The manual processes are also exposed to risks of forgery and fraudulent academic claims.
The reform—which was initially scheduled to take effect in April—introduces end-to-end digitalization of the credential verification system, replacing in-person applications, manual paper trails and reviews, and physical stamp validation with a fully digital workflow. It also enables worldwide access, allowing Nigerian graduates, international researchers, employers, and foreign academic institutions to verify credentials from any location worldwide.
Ethiopia’s national ID expands across Africa
Still in Africa, Ethiopia is planning to expand its National Digital ID Program in Zambia, Mozambique, and Burundi, Pulse of Africa reported on September 10.
According to Yodahe Arayaselassie, executive director of the National ID Program (NIDP), this is a significant step in African-led digital innovation and South-South cooperation.
The pilot projects, which are supported by Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and formal capacity-building agreements, are designed to follow the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy (2020 – 2030) and Agenda 2063.
The main initiative of AU’s continental vision is to create a Secured Digital Single Market, which requires interoperable digital ID protocols across member states to ensure identity verification remains secure, trusted, and seamless.
Arayaselassie stated in an exclusive interview with ENA that this effort will help prevent crime, streamline digital integration of various services, and build trustworthy connections across users, institutions, and other stakeholders. He also shared that the number of digital national ID holders in Ethiopia has already reached 50 million.
In addition, efforts to integrate the digital ID system with service-providing institutions have resulted in links with 150 government agencies, private entities, startups, and other organizations. On top of that, 200 million identity verification transactions have been done via the national ID platform.
Consequently, the expansive rollout has increased the number of registration centers to nearly 12,000 and has successfully registered 50 million individuals to date.
Arayaselassie noted that the country’s National Digital ID Program has evolved into a comprehensive digital infrastructure platform and has been officially established as a state-owned entity under Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH).
Apart from the digital ID program expansion, the country is also working on streamlining solutions in digital wallet as well as enterprise and commercial digital services.
Kazakhstan probes stablecoin launch and invests in tokenization
In Central Asia, Kazakhstan is looking to launch a tenge-pegged stablecoin and is planning to tokenize the Iconic Tower complex.
According to independent news organization Kursiv Media, Kazakhstan has launched the KZtg stablecoin on Telegram. Financial Analyst Andrey Chebotarev said that it was first issued at the Central Asia Fintech Summit 2026 in Almaty on September 11.
According to Chebotarev, the project is positioned as the first stablecoin pegged to a national currency operating on Telegram in Central Asia. He added that it is also the first non-U.S. dollar stablecoin on the TON network.
KZtg is pegged 1:1 to the tenge—Kazakhstan’s official currency. Users can top up their accounts with a bank card or via bank transfer at a rate of 1 tenge to 1 KZtg; they can also withdraw their assets back into tenge via Telegram.
To access the service, users must undergo identity verification. Chebotarev noted that the transactions are screened against sanctions and politically exposed person (PEP) lists. The project operates within the National Bank’s regulatory sandbox and is managed by Alt Coin LLP.
On May 1, the National Bank—the country’s central bank—introduced comprehensive regulations on digital asset circulation. The new regulatory framework specifically addresses digital financial assets, including money-backed stablecoins.
In other news, Kazakhstan is also planning to launch tokenization of the Iconic Tower complex, valued at $50 million, by the end of this year, the chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Timur Suleimenov, said.
The plan will be implemented via the National Bank’s regulatory sandbox and the infrastructure of the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE).
The country is also working to tokenize the Birlik logistics center, which is valued at up to $10 million.
The chairman stated that the National Bank, along with other government agencies, had developed a joint action plan to develop the digital assets industry.
“It is necessary to strengthen practical cooperation between the jurisdictions, jointly develop projects and create seamless mechanisms for market participants. The first such solutions are already being developed – crypto-fiat gateways are expanding, and projects with international participants, including the regional Binance model, are being considered,” Suleimenov said.
The plan aims to move capital from foreign and unregulated platforms into Kazakhstan’s transparent regulatory framework. It focuses on enhancing payment systems and capital markets, supporting the real estate sector, safeguarding investors, and expanding exports of digital financial services.
FAQs:
What is Nigeria doing with academic certificate verification?
Nigeria is moving to fully digitized academic certificate evaluation and authentication. Applicants can now complete the process online without visiting the Federal Ministry of Education.
Which countries will use Ethiopia’s digital ID system?
Ethiopia plans to expand its digital National ID Program in Zambia, Mozambique, and Burundi as part of wider African digital integration efforts.
How many digital ID verifications has Ethiopia processed?
Ethiopia’s national digital ID platform has processed 200 million identity verification transactions.
What is Kazakhstan’s KZtg stablecoin?
KZtg is a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the Kazakh tenge. It operates within the National Bank’s regulatory sandbox and is available through Telegram.
What is Kazakhstan planning to tokenize?
Kazakhstan plans to tokenize the $50 million Iconic Tower complex by the end of 2026. A logistics center worth up to $10 million is also planned for tokenization.
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