NERD Policy: FG Approves New NYSC Regulation, Thesis Submission Now Mandatory for Mobilisation
The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved a major policy shift linking the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation process with mandatory compliance to the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) Policy.
Under the new directive, no graduate — whether from Nigerian or foreign institutions — will be mobilised for NYSC or granted exemption without proof of NERD compliance, which includes the submission of academic outputs such as theses, dissertations, or final-year project reports.
📌 Presidential Approval & Legal Backing
The directive, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the provisions of the NYSC Act, was communicated in an enforcement circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
Citing Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC Act, Akume confirmed that the new mobilisation criteria align with the President’s regulation requiring proof of compliance with the NERD Policy for all prospective corps members, regardless of where they studied.
🔑 Key Highlights of the NERD Policy Enforcement:
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Effective Date: Beginning October 6, 2025, all graduates must present proof of NERD compliance before NYSC mobilisation or exemption.
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Mandatory Thesis Submission: Students must deposit final-year projects, theses, or dissertations in the NERD database as part of the verification process.
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Scope of Application: The directive applies to graduates of universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and foreign institutions. Serving corps members and those mobilised before the date remain unaffected.
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Annual Compliance: Starting March 30 each year, higher institutions and relevant organisations must file annual compliance reports with NERD.
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Institutional Responsibility: Universities and other higher institutions are encouraged to establish local repositories for academic works to ease compliance.
🎯 Objectives of the NERD–NYSC Integration
The NERD–NYSC linkage is designed to:
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Curb certificate racketeering and restore credibility to academic qualifications.
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Safeguard Nigeria’s intellectual assets by digitising and preserving academic works.
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Provide a time-stamped record of scholarship to track continuous academic engagement.
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Ensure quality assurance in higher education, as supervisors’ and departments’ names will appear alongside deposited works.
NERD spokesperson, Haula Galadima, explained the rationale:
“Every thesis deposited will carry the names of the student, supervisor(s), Head of Department, and the sponsoring institution. This transparency ensures lecturers uphold higher supervision standards since their names will be permanently tied to the quality of each work.”
💡 Academic Monetisation & Rewards
Beyond compliance, the policy also introduces a monetisation and reward mechanism for academic outputs. Students and lecturers will be able to earn lifetime revenues from their deposited works, creating incentives for research and innovation.
🔍 Why This Matters
For decades, thousands of valuable Nigerian theses and dissertations have gathered dust in university libraries, untapped and forgotten. By enforcing NERD compliance as a requirement for NYSC, the government is turning academic knowledge into a national productivity tool across sectors like agriculture, medicine, engineering, and governance.
With this regulation, the NYSC will not only serve as a national service programme but also as a quality assurance mechanism, ensuring that every graduate contributes meaningfully to Nigeria’s knowledge economy.
✅ What Graduates Should Do Now
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Prepare to upload your final-year project, thesis, or dissertation to the NERD portal before seeking NYSC mobilisation.
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Confirm that your institution has updated its compliance framework with NERD.
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Keep track of the October 6, 2025 enforcement date to avoid delays in mobilisation or exemption processing.