President Tinubu has sanctioned a reform that connects the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilization process to the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD). By citing Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1) (C) of the NYSC Act, Tinubu mandated that no graduate—regardless of whether they attended a Nigerian or overseas institution— will be mobilized for or exempted from NYSC will be mobilized for or exempted from NYSC without evidence of adherence to the NERD policy. This directive, communicated via a circular from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, will come into force on October 6. Under the NERD framework, students must submit academicoutputs, such as theses and project reports, to support a national initiative aimed at combating certificate fraud and safeguarding Nigeria’s intellectual resources. As per Section 6.1.23 of the policy, this requirement functions as an independent quality assurance mechanism and verification of academic enrollment. Earlier in March 2025, during the announcement of the NERD Declaration of Effectiveness, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated that following the declaration, “the enforced conditions for compulsory submission of academic outputs as detailed in Sections 2.3, 4.3(1), and 7.6.11(c), among others, of the sanctioned National Policy for the NERD Programme will become mandatory provisions in Nigeria.” Emphasizing the significance of the directive, NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima elaborated that each student submission will include the complete names of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor (when applicable), and Head of Department, alongside the sponsoring institution and department. Galadima remarked, “Apart from the obligation to verify for authenticity as a national flagship, the NERD digitization initiative has a clear aim – to elevate the standards of academic content, output, and presentation across the country. “One approach NERD plans to achieve this goal, based on its mission, is to enhance the supervision processes in the nation’s higher education institutions without directly intervening in those processes. “If our distinguished scholars are conscious that their names will be associated with those of the students they oversee on a globally accessible digital platform, there is a high chance that each lecturer would raise their standards.
