The Federal Government has approved a new policy requiring all students to submit their theses and final-year projects to the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) as a compulsory condition for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Effective from October 6, no graduate whether educated in Nigeria or abroad will be mobilised for or exempted from the NYSC without proof of compliance with the new directive. The policy was announced in a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the reform.
According to the circular, the NYSC mobilisation criteria have been revised to align with the President’s directive mandating proof of NERD policy compliance for all prospective corps members. Under the policy, all students must deposit their academic outputs, including theses and project reports, into the national database. Section 6.1.23 of the NERD guidelines states that the measure serves as a quality assurance check and provides independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and institutional affiliation each year.
Explaining the intent of the reform, NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima said the digitisation programme aims to raise the standard of academic content and presentation nationwide, while also verifying the authenticity of submitted works. The repository will capture comprehensive details of each project, including the student’s full name, the names of the supervisor and co-supervisor (if applicable), the Head of Department, and the sponsoring institution and department.
Galadima added that the public visibility of supervisors’ names alongside those of their students is expected to improve the quality of academic supervision. “Very few lecturers would want their names associated with poorly produced academic works,” she noted.
In March, while declaring the NERD policy effective, the Minister of Education emphasised that the submission of academic outputs would become an obligatory requirement. The approved policy also includes an academic output monetisation mechanism endorsed by the President, allowing students and lecturers to earn lifetime revenue from their deposited works.
The new enforcement applies to all graduates from Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and foreign institutions. However, it will not affect those already serving or mobilised before the October 6 implementation date.
The government said the reform is aimed at curbing certificate racketeering, securing Nigeria’s intellectual property, and strengthening the credibility of higher education qualifications. It is also expected to create a centralised national repository that enhances research, promotes transparency, and connects academic outputs to future innovation and enterprise development, a move that could also benefit small businesses in the education, research, and tech sectors.
