FG Makes Thesis Submission Mandatory for NYSC Mobilisation
The Federal Government has approved a new policy mandating the submission of students’ theses and final-year projects into the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) as a prerequisite for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Effective from October 6, no graduate—whether from Nigerian or foreign institutions—will be mobilised or granted exemption from the NYSC without proof of compliance with the policy.
The directive, conveyed through a circular from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, followed President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the reform.
According to the circular, the NYSC mobilisation criteria have been revised “in accordance with the President’s regulation requiring proof of NERD policy compliance for all prospective corps members, regardless of where they were educated.”
The NERD policy requires students to deposit academic outputs, including theses and project reports, into the national database. Section 6.1.23 of the NERD guidelines states that the measure will serve as a “quality assurance check and as yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation.”
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Explaining the intent of the policy, NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima said the digitisation programme was designed not only to authenticate academic work but also to improve the quality of research output nationwide.
“The database will capture every detail of deposited works, including the names of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor (if any), Head of Department, and the sponsoring institution,” Galadima noted.
She added that the initiative would encourage lecturers to raise supervision standards.
“If eminent scholars know their names will appear on a globally accessible digital platform alongside students’ work, there is little chance they would allow substandard projects under their supervision,” she said.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had earlier declared the policy effective in March, stressing that the submission of academic outputs was now mandatory under the approved National Policy for the NERD Programme.
A copy of the approved policy also revealed that President Tinubu endorsed an academic monetisation mechanism, which allows students and lecturers to earn lifetime revenues from their academic deposits.
The SGF clarified that the enforcement applies to all graduates from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and foreign institutions, but does not affect serving corps members or those already mobilised before October 6.
According to the Federal Government, the reform aims to curb certificate racketeering, protect Nigeria’s intellectual property, and enhance the credibility of higher education qualifications.
By PRNigeria
