Effective October 6, 2025, President Bola Tinubu has mandated that all Nigerian graduates must provide proof of compliance with the National Education Repository and Databank (NERD) before enrolling in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or receiving an exemption certificate.
The directive was confirmed in a circular released on Sunday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
The new requirement affects all graduates from Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and foreign institutions, although it will not apply to those already serving in the NYSC or registered before the deadline.
NERD is a national digital platform designed to archive and manage academic works produced by Nigerian students and researchers.
Under the policy, every prospective corps member must upload their final-year project, dissertation or thesis as evidence of their academic record.
According to the circular, this system provides an independent proof of enrolment and academic activity through secure time-stamping, ensuring authenticity and traceability of academic output.
Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa first activated the NERD policy in March 2025, making the submission of academic work mandatory across all higher education institutions in Nigeria and abroad, including specialist colleges and research centres.
The initiative also introduces a monetisation and reward scheme, allowing students and lecturers to earn royalties from the academic works they contribute.
NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima explained that each submission will include the names of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor and department head, a measure intended to enhance supervision quality.
She added that the public nature of the database will motivate lecturers to maintain higher standards, knowing their names will be linked to the work.
Inter-agency data integration will be handled through the National Identity Management Commission to simplify the verification of student and institutional records.
