The Federal Government has approved a policy that makes submission of students’ theses and final year projects into the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank, a compulsory requirement for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps.
The directive which is contained in a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume on Saturday,is expected to take effect from October 6, 2025.
It mandates graduates, whether trained in Nigeria or abroad to comply or risk mobilisation or exemption from the NYSC
“NYSC mobilisation criteria [have been adjusted] in accordance with the President’s regulation requiring proof of NERD Policy compliance for all prospective corps members, regardless of where they were educated.”
The policy requires all students to deposit their academic outputs, such as theses or project reports, into the national database. According to Section 6.1.23 of the NERD guidelines, the measure serves “as a quality assurance check and as a yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation.”The circular read.
NERD spokesperson, Haula Galadima, explained that ”Apart from the mandate to verify for authenticity as a national flagship, the NERD digitisation programme has a clear objective, to raise the bar in the quality of academic content, output and presentation nationwide.”
According to her,the database will capture every detail of academic work deposited.
“Each item shall feature the full name of the student, those of his supervisor, co-supervisor if any, and that of the Head of Department, as well as the sponsoring institution and department,”
On the implication of the academic output , she said,
“If our eminent scholars are aware that their names will appear next to those of the students they supervise on a globally available digital platform, there is the likelihood that each lecturer would up his or her standard.
“Very few lecturers would want their names associated with poorly produced academic works.”
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had in March emphasised that submission of academic outputs would become obligatory in the country.
“The approved stipulations for mandatory submission of academic outputs as provided in Sections 2.3, 4.3(1), and 7.6.11(c), among others, of the approved National Policy for the NERD Programme shall become obligatory requirements in Nigeria,” Alausa said.
The SGF’s circular, states that the enforcement will apply to all graduates from Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and foreign institutions.
It clarified that the new rules “do not affect serving corps members or those mobilised before the October 6 enforcement date.”
The reform aims to curb certificate racketeering, secure Nigeria’s intellectual property, and strengthen the credibility of higher education qualifications.
