In a major policy shift aimed at safeguarding academic integrity, President Bola Tinubu has directed that the mobilisation of graduates for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) be tied directly to compliance with 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, the President ordered that no graduate, whether from Nigerian or foreign institutions, will henceforth be mobilised for or exempted from NYSC without proof of fulfilling the NERD requirement.
The directive, announced through a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, takes effect on October 6.
Under the NERD framework, students must deposit academic outputs — including theses and project reports — into the national database. This measure is designed to combat certificate fraud, preserve Nigeria’s intellectual resources, and provide an independent quality assurance system.
Earlier in March 2025, while declaring NERD effective, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had emphasised that submission of academic outputs had become a mandatory national requirement in line with the approved policy.
NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima explained that every submission will carry the names of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor (if any), and Head of Department, alongside the sponsoring institution and department.
She noted that this transparency will enhance academic standards nationwide:
“If our eminent scholars know that their names will appear next to those of the students they supervise on a globally accessible platform, it is likely they will raise their supervisory standards. Few would want their names associated with poorly produced works.”
According to her, the digitisation programme is not only a safeguard against fraud but also a means of strengthening supervision in higher institutions, ensuring that lecturers “earn their earned allowances” through thorough academic oversight.