By George Omagbemi Sylvester
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has introduced a new policy making compliance with the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD) a mandatory requirement for participation in or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The directive was announced on 5 March 2026 in Abuja during a national capacity‑building programme focused on strengthening the integrity of academic records across the country’s education sector.
Under the policy, graduates seeking mobilisation into the one‑year compulsory service scheme or applying for exemption must first ensure their academic credentials and final‑year outputs are registered and verifiable on the NERD digital platform — a centralised system designed to store, verify and authenticate academic records from universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.
Education officials said the move is part of a broader effort to curb the persistent menace of certificate fraud, which has seen some Nigerians obtain questionable qualifications from unaccredited institutions, particularly abroad.
By linking NYSC mobilisation eligibility to NERD compliance, the government aims to ensure that only authentic and verifiable degrees are recognised for national service and other official purposes, strengthening transparency and trust in Nigeria’s academic system.
The policy also requires institutions to integrate with the platform and aligns with wider reforms targeting improved education data management and credential verification across regulatory agencies.
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