Ethiopia to Centralize Printing of University Degree Certificates to Strengthen Anti-Forgery System
Addis Ababa, May 12, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education has announced that degree certificates for graduates of all higher education institutions in the country will henceforth be printed at a single centralized facility, in a move aimed at strengthening safeguards against academic fraud and certificate forgery.
The announcement was made by Solomon Abraha, Executive Director for Higher Education Institutions Administration and Infrastructure at the Ministry of Education, who said the reform is designed to enhance the integrity and security of academic credentials issued in the country.
He explained that the previous system, under which higher education institutions outsourced certificate printing to different entities through bidding processes, had created vulnerabilities that contributed to cases of forged academic documents.
According to him, consolidating the printing process into a single center will help ensure standardization, security, and improved verification of academic certificates issued by both public and private higher education institutions.
As part of the transition, the Ministry of Education will provide official supporting letters for graduates who require proof of completion before receiving their final printed degrees under the new system.
The centralized printing arrangement will take effect starting this academic year, he said.
Solomon further noted that graduates of the 2017 E.C. (2024/25) academic year and those graduating thereafter will receive only certificates issued through the new centralized system.
The official added that individuals who graduated before 2017 E.C. but have not yet collected their degrees will also be processed under the new arrangement.
In addition, the Ministry stated that an ongoing nationwide effort to verify and clean up fraudulent academic credentials is being implemented across more than 160 federal institutions. The process will also be extended to regional institutions and the private sector workforce.