NERD Compliance Compulsory for NYSC Mobilisation from October 6

Beginning October 6, Nigerian graduates will no longer be eligible for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or exemption from it unless they comply with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).

The directive was issued through a circular from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, citing Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC Act.

The NERD policy, first activated by Education Minister Tunji Alausa in March 2025, was introduced to curb academic title fraud and certificate forgery. It requires all academic credentials to be digitally verified and stored in a central databank.

Earlier, the Ministry of Education had directed institutions across the country to begin verifying the academic records of all staff and prospective recruits through the NERD platform.

A new compliance guideline now extends this obligation to students. Under the rule, every Nigerian undergraduate and postgraduate must upload evidence of academic work such as final-year projects or theses to the databank.

According to the SGF, this database will serve as both a “quality assurance mechanism” and an annual “independent proof of continuous academic engagement.”

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From the enforcement date, no graduate of a Nigerian university, polytechnic, college of education or foreign institution will be cleared for NYSC service or granted exemption without providing proof of registration on the platform.

However, the directive will not apply to current corps members or those mobilised before October 6, 2025.