Abuja—President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a new directive making compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) a compulsory requirement for mobilization into, or exemption from, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The decision, anchored on Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC Act, was conveyed in a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume. The directive, listed under Item 2(ix), stated that all prospective corps members must present proof of NERD compliance regardless of whether they studied in Nigeria or abroad.

The NERD Policy, introduced to curb certificate racketeering and restore integrity to academic qualifications, mandates students to deposit their academic outputs—such as theses and project reports—into the national database.

According to Section 6.1.23 of the policy, the requirement serves as a “quality assurance check and independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation,” creating a permanent, verifiable record of scholarship and academic activity.

Back in March 2025, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa had emphasized that mandatory submission of academic outputs, as outlined in several provisions of the NERD framework, was to apply to all institutions—public, private, military, or civilian—including specialized schools of nursing, agriculture, and research institutes.

The SGF’s circular now makes it clear that from October 6, 2025, no graduate from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, or foreign institutions will be mobilized for NYSC or granted exemption without complying with NERD requirements. The directive, however, will not affect corps members already serving or those mobilized before the enforcement date.

To complement this reform, President Tinubu also approved an academic output monetisation scheme, allowing students and their supervisors to earn lifetime royalties from deposited works. Institutions are expected to establish local repositories under the broader NERD framework, fostering collaboration across previously siloed academic bodies.

The circular further directs Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as higher institutions, to enforce compliance, while agencies such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will provide data exchange support through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for validation.

Highlighting the importance of the policy, NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima explained that every deposited work will carry the names of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor, Head of Department, and the sponsoring institution.

She noted that the programme aims not only to verify academic authenticity but also to improve the quality of scholarship nationwide.

“If lecturers know their names will appear alongside students’ work on a globally accessible platform, they will be motivated to provide stricter supervision,” Galadima said. “Very few would want to be associated with poorly prepared academic outputs. This, in turn, will enhance both academic standards and the integrity of earned allowances.”