By Muhammad Baqir
In a major academic reform, President Bola Tinubu has approved a policy making it compulsory for all Nigerian graduates to submit their thesis or project reports to a national database before they can be mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The directive, conveyed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, mandates compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD). Effective October 6, 2025, no graduate—whether from a Nigerian or foreign institution—will be called up for NYSC without proof of NERD compliance.
The policy is designed to act as “a quality assurance check and as a yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation,” according to the official document. It aims to combat certificate racketeering and safeguard the nation’s intellectual assets.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had earlier stated that “the approved stipulations for mandatory submission of academic outputs… shall become obligatory requirements in Nigeria,” applying to all institutions regardless of ownership.
A NERD spokesperson, Haula Galadima, explained that the initiative is also designed to raise academic standards. “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,” she said.
The policy also includes a monetisation mechanism, allowing students and lecturers to earn lifetime revenues from their deposited academic work. The directive does not affect corps members already serving or enrolled before the October 6 deadline.