The Federal Government has approved a new rule that makes the submission of academic work, such as thesis and final year projects, a compulsory condition for mobilisation or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The directive, which takes effect from October 6, 2025, was announced in a circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
This follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the enforcement of the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
The new measure applies to all Nigerian graduates, whether from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, or institutions abroad.
Without proof of compliance with the NERD policy, no graduate will be cleared for NYSC mobilisation or exemption.
The government explained that the policy is meant to tackle certificate fraud, protect the nation’s intellectual property, and improve the quality of academic work.
Under the arrangement, students are required to deposit their final academic projects, with details such as their names, supervisors, head of department, and institution clearly stated.
The NERD programme will serve as a national digital archive to track academic activities, ensure transparency in academic records, and strengthen supervision in higher institutions.
It will also allow students and lecturers to benefit financially through an approved system of monetisation of deposited works.
Serving corps members and those mobilised before the October 6 enforcement date are not affected by the new rule.
