AcadPass™ Emerging as Digital Public Infrastructure for Safer, Smarter Nigerian Campuses – Onyanabo
By: Olubayo James
As insecurity, identity fraud, and administrative inefficiencies continue to challenge Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, the Founder and Lead Strategist of AcadPass™, Al Humphrey Onyanabo, has described the platform as a new layer of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) purpose-built for the education sector.
Speaking on the expanding role of technology in campus governance, Onyanabo said AcadPass™ was designed not merely as a smart ID solution, but as a secure digital backbone that integrates identity management, access control, surveillance, and emergency response into one coordinated ecosystem.
“AcadPass™ is more than a card system. It is Digital Public Infrastructure for tertiary institutions. When identity, access, payments, security monitoring, and emergency response are integrated into one intelligent framework, campuses become structured, accountable, and significantly safer,” he said.
From Smart ID to Digital Infrastructure
Across many Nigerian campuses, identity systems remain fragmented, manual, and vulnerable. According to Onyanabo, this gap creates security exposure and operational inefficiencies.
AcadPass™ addresses this by creating a centralized, verifiable digital identity for every student and staff member. This identity becomes the gateway to multiple services, including:
*Secure campus access control
*Hostel and facility authorization
*Examination and academic verification
*Digital payments and campus wallet services
*Healthcare and insurance validation
*Library and institutional resource management
By unifying these functions under one trusted digital identity layer, Onyanabo explained, institutions gain full visibility and governance over their ecosystem.
“When identity is properly structured, every other institutional function becomes safer and more efficient. You cannot secure a campus without first securing identity.”
Integrated 24-Hour Surveillance and Emergency Response
Beyond digital identity, AcadPass™ incorporates a comprehensive physical security layer designed to respond to real-time threats.
The system deploys:
*24-hour CCTV surveillance across critical campus zones
*A centralized monitoring control room
*Data-linked access logs for entry and movement tracking
*Panic button infrastructure installed at strategic locations.
According to Onyanabo, the panic response system is one of the most transformative features of the ecosystem.
“If a student or staff member is in distress, the panic button triggers immediate alerts to our central control room. The system identifies the location instantly, activates surveillance feeds in that area, and dispatches rapid response support. Help is not theoretical — it is immediate.”
He emphasized that this layered approach combines preventive monitoring with rapid intervention, significantly reducing response time during emergencies.
Making Campuses Digitally Savvy
Onyanabo noted that AcadPass™ also drives digital culture within institutions. When students rely on secure digital credentials for access, verification, payments, and services, digital literacy becomes embedded in daily campus life.
“We are building technologically confident campuses. Students graduate not only with degrees but with familiarity in secure digital systems that mirror global standards.”
He added that positioning AcadPass™ as DPI means it can interoperate with broader national digital frameworks, future-proofing institutions for integration into Nigeria’s expanding digital economy.
Reducing Impersonation, Fraud, and Administrative Bottlenecks
Identity fraud, unauthorized hostel occupation, examination impersonation, and unverified campus entry have long plagued institutions.
Onyanabo said the AcadPass™ ecosystem significantly curtails these risks.
With biometric-backed profiling, real-time verification, and digital audit trails, institutions can:
*Eliminate duplicate or fake IDs
*Track access history
*Strengthen exam integrity
*Reduce manual paperwork and human error
“You cannot modernize education without digital traceability. Transparency protects both institutions and students.”
A Scalable Model for Nigeria and Beyond
Onyanabo stressed that AcadPass™ was developed with scalability in mind, adaptable across federal, state, and private tertiary institutions.
He argued that as Nigeria pushes deeper into digital governance reforms, education must not be left behind.
“Digital Public Infrastructure is not only about national ID or payments. Education must have its own secure digital foundation. AcadPass™ provides that foundation for tertiary institutions.”
Securing the Future of Higher Education
With rising concerns about campus violence, unauthorized access, and weak emergency response systems, AcadPass™ positions itself as both a preventive and responsive solution.
By combining smart identity, integrated services, 24-hour surveillance, centralized monitoring, and panic-triggered rapid response, the platform aims to redefine campus safety standards in Nigeria.
Onyanabo concluded:
“A safe campus is not built on reaction; it is built on structure. AcadPass™ gives institutions the structure — digitally and physically — to protect their people and modernize their operations. When identity is secure and response is immediate, the learning environment thrives.”
