President Bola Tinubu has approved a new rule that makes compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) a compulsory condition for joining or being exempted from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
From October 6, no Nigerian graduate – whether from a local university, polytechnic, college of education, or a foreign institution – will be allowed to serve or get exemption from NYSC without proof of NERD compliance.
The directive was announced in a circular sent to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, on Sunday in Abuja.
This rule will not affect those already serving in NYSC or those enrolled before the start date.
According to Akume, the move is to adjust NYSC mobilization requirements in line with the President’s regulation, which insists that every prospective corps member must comply with the NERD Policy, regardless of where they studied.
One of the key requirements under the policy is that graduates must deposit their academic work – such as theses or project reports – in the repository.
The policy is designed to serve as a quality check and as an independent record of academic activities. It will also act as a time-stamped proof of study and scholarship, no matter where the student studied.
Back in March 2025, while declaring the NERD effective, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, explained that all higher institutions must submit academic works as required in sections of the policy.
He said the NERD Policy applies equally to all institutions – whether public, private, military, or civilian – including schools of nursing, agriculture, research centres, and other specialized institutes.
The President also approved a reward system that will allow students and lecturers to earn money from their academic works deposited in the repository, ensuring they benefit from their research for life.
The policy further encourages every higher institution to create its own local repository while linking to the national databank.
Importantly, the policy sets up a cooperative framework to connect all institutions, which until now had operated separately.
The Federal Government’s circular directed MDAs and schools to fully enforce the policy. It also instructed data agencies like the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to support the system with data exchange through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
Highlighting the importance of the policy, NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima explained that every academic work submitted must include the student’s name, supervisor’s name, co-supervisor’s name (if any), Head of Department, and the institution involved.
She said the main aim of the NERD digitization project is to improve the quality of academic research and presentation across the country.
According to her, if lecturers know their names will appear alongside their students’ works on a global platform, they will take supervision more seriously, which will improve academic standards.
Galadima added that lecturers would also be able to earn allowances from properly supervised works, as the policy pushes for stronger accountability in higher institutions.
She noted that the onboarding process for MDAs, schools, and organizations is already open at https://ned.gov.ng/onboarding.
