TINUBU GOVT SHAKES UP NYSC: NO MOBILISATION WITHOUT NERD COMPLIANCE FROM OCTOBER 6

ABUJA – A major policy shift is set to redefine the path to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as President Bola Tinubu has approved new mandatory regulations linking participation in the scheme to compliance with the National Education Repository and Databank (NERD).

With effect from October 6, 2025, no Nigerian graduate—whether from a university, polytechnic, college of education, or an institution abroad—will be mobilised for or exempted from NYSC without proof of NERD compliance.

The announcement, contained in a circular signed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, on Sunday in Abuja, has sent ripples across the nation’s academic and youth communities.

> “This adjustment in NYSC mobilisation criteria reflects the President’s directive requiring every prospective corps member, irrespective of where they studied, to show evidence of compliance with the NERD Policy,” the circular reads.

What NERD Means for Students

The policy requires graduates to deposit academic outputs—such as theses, dissertations, and final-year projects—into the NERD platform. These submissions will serve as a time-stamped academic footprint, ensuring authenticity, preventing plagiarism, and strengthening supervision standards in tertiary institutions.

In March, while issuing the Declaration of Effectiveness for NERD, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, highlighted its far-reaching impact. He revealed that the President also approved a monetisation and reward framework, allowing students and lecturers to earn lifetime royalties from deposited academic works.

> “NERD applies to every institution of higher learning in Nigeria—public or private, civilian or military—and even those outside direct federal oversight, such as schools of nursing, agriculture, and research institutes,” Alausa explained.

Raising Academic Standards

NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima noted that each submission would carry the full names of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor, and Head of Department, alongside the institution’s details.

> “This ensures accountability and quality. No lecturer would want their name tied to substandard academic work on a global digital platform,” she said.

The Federal Government has further directed that critical national data agencies such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) provide API-powered inter-agency support to strengthen the onboarding and validation process.

Why It Matters

The NERD Policy, government officials stress, is not just about compliance. It is designed to:

Establish a national academic repository of research and knowledge.

Encourage collaborative research across institutions.

Provide independent proof of academic activity for students and lecturers.

Enhance Nigeria’s global reputation for scholarship and innovation.

Onboarding for ministries, higher institutions, and corporate organisations has commenced via the official portal: https://ned.gov.ng/onboarding.

With the October 6 deadline looming, universities, polytechnics, and foreign-trained graduates are now racing against time to align with the new NYSC mobilisation order that could determine whether they wear the khaki uniform—or watch from the sidelines.