AcadPass™: Building Nigeria’s First Unified Digital Public Infrastructure for Education

–Why the New Year Must Mark a Turning Point for Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

By Al Humphrey Onyanabo
Founder / Lead Strategist, AcadPass™
CreestGate Limited

As Nigeria enters a new year, a clear reality confronts tertiary institutions across the country: the old ways of running campuses can no longer sustain the future we want for our students.
Universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and colleges of health are under increasing pressure—from security challenges and identity fraud to bursary leakages, manual records, overstretched health services, and rising student expectations in a digital world.

“This is not a technology problem; it is an infrastructure problem,” says Al Humphrey Onyanabo, Founder and Lead Strategist of AcadPass™.

“Our campuses are trying to run 21st-century institutions on 20th-century systems. AcadPass was designed to change that, permanently.”
That foundation is AcadPass™.
What Is AcadPass™?
AcadPass™ is a proudly homegrown Nigerian innovation, owned and developed by CreestGate Limited, conceived to serve African students and institutions at scale.

The name AcadPass is derived from two words:
Academic and Passport.
Just as a passport grants identity, access, and mobility across borders, AcadPass™ provides secure digital access across the entire academic journey—from admission to graduation and beyond.
“It is not just an ID card or an app,” Onyanabo explains.
“AcadPass is a student’s academic passport — a trusted identity that unlocks education, healthcare, finance, and opportunity.”

AcadPass™ functions as a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) — a shared, interoperable system that connects education, security, finance, healthcare, and student empowerment into one unified ecosystem.
Why Digital Public Infrastructure Matters for Education
Most Nigerian tertiary institutions still operate fragmented systems:
One ID card for exams
Another for hostels
Manual registers for attendance
Paper files for academic records
Separate lists for bursaries
Disconnected healthcare services
These silos create inefficiency, insecurity, and opportunities for fraud.

AcadPass™ replaces fragmentation with integration.
“With a single verified digital identity, institutions regain control, students regain trust, and governments regain visibility,” says Onyanabo.
“That is what true Digital Public Infrastructure delivers.”

The AcadPass™ Ecosystem Explained

1. Unified Digital Identity & Smart ID
Every student receives an AcadPass Smart ID—physical and digital—biometrically linked and institutionally verified.
This single identity powers:
Hostel and campus access
Exam hall verification
Library and laboratory entry
Academic record authentication
Impersonation, unauthorized access, and manual verification become obsolete.

2. Campus Access Control & Security
AcadPass™ deploys biometric gates, turnstiles, and smart doors at critical points across campuses.
Administrators gain:
Real-time access monitoring
Automated attendance tracking
Alerts for unauthorized entry
Safer learning environments
“In today’s Nigeria, access control is not a luxury,” Onyanabo notes.
“It is the foundation of campus safety and institutional integrity.”

3. Financial Inclusion & Bursary Transparency
Through the AcadPass Wallet and Debit Card, institutions and governments can:
Disburse bursaries and allowances directly to students
Eliminate middlemen and leakages
Track payments transparently
Promote financial literacy
This restores confidence in student funding systems.

4. Healthcare & Student Welfare Integration
AcadPass™ integrates healthcare through the AcadPass Healthcare Card, linked to partner HMOs.
Students gain:
Cashless treatment at campus clinics
Digital medical records
Emergency healthcare access
Mental health support via Zena AI
“A student’s wellbeing is inseparable from academic success,” Onyanabo adds.
“That is why healthcare is embedded, not optional.”

5. AcadVerify™: Trust Beyond Graduation

A critical component of the ecosystem is AcadVerify™, CreestGate Limited’s digital verification engine.
AcadVerify™ allows:
Employers to verify credentials instantly
Institutions to confirm transcripts securely
Governments and agencies to authenticate graduates
International bodies to trust Nigerian academic records

“With AcadVerify, Nigerian certificates can be trusted globally — without delays, bribery, or paper trails,” says Onyanabo.

6. The School Passport & Zena AI
The AcadPass School Passport stores:
Academic records
Financial and bursary history
Health and welfare data
Policy acknowledgements
Embedded within the system is Zena AI, the student’s digital academic and wellness companion — guiding, reminding, supporting, and engaging students throughout campus life.

A Nigerian Innovation with Continental Vision

CreestGate Limited has submitted a proposal currently under discussion at the African Union to integrate AcadPass™ as the Digital Public Infrastructure for Education in Africa, under the AU 2026–2032 Digitization Programme.
When approved, Nigerian tech professionals will be deployed across Africa to implement the vision.
“This is about exporting Nigerian solutions, not importing foreign ones,” Onyanabo says.
“AcadPass proves that Africa can build its own educational infrastructure.”
What the New Year Demands of Nigerian Institutions

This new year presents a clear choice:
Continue managing complexity with paper and patches
Or build a secure, interoperable digital foundation
AcadPass™ is not about replacing institutional identity — it is about strengthening it with trust, data, and infrastructure.

A Call to Action
To Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, Governing Councils, and Education Authorities:

The future of education belongs to institutions that invest early in secure Digital Public Infrastructure.
AcadPass™, owned and developed by CreestGate Limited, offers:
Security
Transparency
Efficiency
Student empowerment
National and continental relevance
“The question is no longer whether institutions will digitize,” Onyanabo concludes.

“The question is whether they will lead — or be forced to follow.”
AcadPass™
Digital Identity. Access. Empowerment.
The future of Nigerian education begins with infrastructure.

For further information,

Contact:

Creestgate limited,

Email: creestgate@gmail.com

Tel: 07054674906

08109975621