FG makes NERD compliance mandatory for NYSC mobilisation

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a major reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation process, invoking Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC Act to mandate compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).

A circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, conveyed the directive. Item 2(ix) of the enforcement notice states that all prospective corps members—whether trained in Nigeria or abroad—must present proof of NERD compliance before they can be mobilised or exempted from service.

The NERD policy is designed to curb certificate fraud and safeguard the country’s intellectual assets. One key clause requires students to upload their academic outputs such as theses or final-year project reports to the national databank.

Section 6.1.23 of the policy describes this as a “quality assurance check and a yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation,” ensuring a permanent, time-stamped record of scholarship.

When the policy was declared effective in March 2025, Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa stressed that “the approved stipulations for mandatory submission of academic outputs … shall become obligatory requirements in Nigeria.” He added that the policy applies equally to all tertiary institutions, public or private, military or civilian, including specialised research schools and colleges of nursing or agriculture.

From October 6, no graduate of a Nigerian or foreign university, polytechnic, or college of education will be mobilised for NYSC or granted exemption without proof of NERD compliance. Current corps members and those enrolled before that date are not affected.

The policy also introduces an academic-output monetisation scheme approved by President Tinubu on the recommendation of Dr. Alausa to allow students and their supervisors to earn lifetime royalties from their deposited works. Each institution is encouraged to maintain a local repository that links to the national databank.

The federal circular directs all ministries, departments, agencies, and tertiary institutions to enforce the policy. Key data agencies, including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), must enable secure inter-agency data exchange through APIs to verify submissions.

NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima explained that every deposited work will list the student’s full name, supervisor(s), head of department, and sponsoring institution.

“NERD’s goal is to raise the quality of academic content nationwide,” Galadima said. “If scholars know their names will appear alongside the students they supervise on a globally accessible platform, they are more likely to demand higher standards. Few lecturers would want their names linked to sub-par research.”