The Federal Government has approved a new directive that makes submission of academic projects or theses a compulsory requirement for graduates seeking mobilisation or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The policy, which takes effect from October 6, was endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under provisions of the NYSC Act and the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
The enforcement circular was issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, directing that no graduate from any Nigerian or foreign higher institution will be cleared for NYSC without proof of compliance with the NERD policy. The measure applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and specialised institutions such as schools of nursing and agriculture.
The policy is designed to serve as a quality control mechanism and a digital record of academic activities, ensuring every project carries verifiable details of the student, supervisor, department, and sponsoring institution. It aims to tackle issues such as certificate fraud while also creating a national database of intellectual output.
The Federal Government explained that the repository will not only safeguard academic content but also raise the standard of supervision across institutions, as lecturers’ names will be directly linked to works they approve. The policy also introduces a reward system that allows students and lecturers to earn revenues from their deposited works.
To support enforcement, key agencies including the National Identity Management Commission will provide data-sharing services for validation, while institutions are expected to set up their local repositories.
The directive, however, does not affect Corps members already serving or those mobilised before the enforcement date. According to the government, the initiative is also part of efforts to strengthen collaboration among higher institutions, which had previously operated in isolation.
The Federal Ministry of Education has urged schools and academic staff to comply fully, stressing that the digital repository will be globally accessible and help restore trust in Nigerian academic qualifications.