Tinubu endorses NERD compliance as mandatory for NYSC mobilisation
President Bola Tinubu
Tinubu endorses NERD compliance as mandatory for NYSC mobilisation
Abdullateef Fowewe
President Bola Tinubu has approved sweeping reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation process, making compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) a mandatory requirement for all graduates seeking mobilisation or exemption.
The directive, backed by Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC Act, was formally conveyed in a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
The enforcement, listed as Item 2(ix) in the circular, mandates that all prospective Corps members — whether they studied in Nigeria or abroad — must show proof of compliance with the NERD policy before being processed.
A key provision of the NERD policy is the compulsory submission of academic work, including final-year projects, theses, and other scholarly outputs. This is designed to serve as a national quality assurance mechanism, helping to preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s educational qualifications while curbing certificate fraud and misuse of honorary academic titles.
Section 6.1.23 of the policy describes this framework as a way to “time-stamp” academic involvement, providing a verifiable record of student engagement.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced in March 2025 that submission of academic materials would become compulsory under provisions of the NERD policy, referencing sections 2.3, 4.3(1), and 7.6.11(c).
According to the SGF’s circular, the new rule takes effect from October 6, 2025. From that date, no Nigerian graduate — whether from local universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, or international institutions — will be eligible for NYSC mobilisation or exemption without meeting NERD compliance.
The directive forms part of a broader federal strategy to protect Nigeria’s academic integrity, restore trust in higher education credentials, and ensure proper oversight of academic production.
Tinubu also approved a monetisation and reward scheme for academic contributions submitted to NERD, underscoring government’s commitment to incentivising research and intellectual output.
