FG has made Thesis Submission to NERD Mandatory for NYSC Mobilisation
The Federal Government has approved a new policy mandating all graduates to submit their final year projects and theses into the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) as a compulsory requirement for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
According to a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and conveying President Bola Tinubu’s approval, the policy will take effect from October 6, 2025. The directive applies to all graduates from Nigerian and foreign institutions seeking mobilisation or exemption from the NYSC scheme.
The circular explained that the new rule adjusts NYSC mobilisation criteria “in accordance with the President’s regulation requiring proof of NERD Policy compliance for all prospective corps members, regardless of where they were educated.”
Under the NERD guidelines, students are required to deposit their academic outputs, including theses, dissertations, and project reports, into the national database. Section 6.1.23 of the policy states that the measure serves “as a quality assurance check and as a yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation.”
Speaking on the reform, NERD spokesperson, Haula Galadima, said the digitisation programme was designed to improve the quality of academic work and ensure authenticity.
“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,” she explained.
She added that the visibility of supervisors’ names on the database would motivate lecturers to raise their standards. “Very few lecturers would want their names associated with poorly produced academic works,” Galadima noted.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had earlier declared in March that submission of academic outputs would become mandatory under the NERD programme. President Tinubu also approved an academic output monetisation mechanism that allows students and lecturers to earn lifetime royalties from their deposits.
The SGF clarified that the new rules will not affect corps members already serving or those mobilised before the October 6 enforcement date.
According to the government, the reform aims to curb certificate racketeering, safeguard Nigeria’s intellectual property, and strengthen the credibility of higher education qualifications.