Abuja: President Bola Tinubu has approved the compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) as a mandatory requirement for mobilisation into or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The policy mandates that, effective from Oct. 6, no Nigerian graduate-whether from a Nigerian university, polytechnic, college of education, or an overseas institution-would be mobilised for or exempted from NYSC without proof of NERD compliance. This directive was communicated through a circular issued to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the directive does not affect serving Corps members or those enrolled before the enforcement date. Akume stated that the compliance directive is intended to adjust the NYSC mobilisation criteria in line with the President’s regulation, requiring proof of NERD Policy compliance for all prospective Corps members, regardless of their educational background. A key component of the policy is the deposition of academic outputs, such as theses or project reports, serving as a quality assurance check and an independent proof of ongoing academic engagement.
In March 2025, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, provided further insights into the NERD policy during the Declaration of Effectiveness for NERD. The policy mandates the submission of academic outputs as detailed in the approved National Policy for the NERD Programme, applying equally to all educational institutions, irrespective of ownership type, including those outside the direct supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education.
The President has also sanctioned an academic output monetisation and reward mechanism, proposed by Alausa, to allow students and lecturers to earn lifetime revenues from their academic deposits. Institutions are encouraged to establish local repositories, fostering a collaborative framework among previously siloed autonomous institutions. The Federal Government’s circular directs MDAs and higher learning institutions to enforce the NERD Policy fully.
Additionally, critical data bodies like the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) are tasked with providing data exchange support to facilitate onboarding and data validation. Haula Galadima, the spokesperson for NERD, emphasized the importance of the directive, explaining that each deposited item will include the student’s full name, supervisor, and institution details. The NERD digitisation programme aims to enhance the quality of academic content and supervision processes nationwide.
The programme’s objective is to ensure that scholars are aware their names will be associated with students’ work on a global digital platform, encouraging higher academic standards. NERD is committed to supporting lecturers in earning ‘earned allowances’ through thorough supervision, thereby improving the overall quality of academic work.