President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a reform linking the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation process to the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
By invoking Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC Act, Tinubu directed that no graduate whether from a Nigerian or foreign institution will be mobilized for or exempted from NYSC without proof of compliance with the NERD policy.
The directive, conveyed through a circular by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, takes effect from October 6.
Under the NERD framework, students are required to deposit academic outputs, including theses and project reports, as part of a national effort to curb certificate fraud and preserve Nigeria’s intellectual assets. According to Section 6.1.23 of the policy, this requirement serves as an independent quality assurance measure and proof of academic enrolment.
Highlighting the importance of the directive, NERD spokesperson, Haula Galadima explained that every student submission will include the full names of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor (where applicable), and Head of Department, along with the sponsoring institution and department.
