FG Makes Thesis Submission Mandatory for NYSC Mobilisation

The Federal Government has approved a new policy making submission of academic outputs, including thesis and project reports, a mandatory requirement for mobilisation into or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The directive, approved by President Bola Tinubu in line with provisions of the NYSC Act, was contained in a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

According to the circular, “NYSC mobilisation criteria are adjusted 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 requirement, provided for in the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), is expected to check certificate racketeering and abuse of academic honours. It also mandates Nigerian students to deposit academic works as proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation.

Section 6.1.23 of the policy states that the requirement serves “as a quality assurance check and as a yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation” while also providing a time-stamped record of scholarship.

In March 2025, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had announced that “the approved stipulations for mandatory submission of academic outputs as provided in Sections 2.3, 4.3(1), and 7.6.11(c), among others, of the approved National Policy for the NERD Programme shall become obligatory requirements in Nigeria.”

The circular clarified that effective October 6, no graduate from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, or foreign institutions would be mobilised for or exempted from NYSC without proof of compliance. The directive, however, does not affect corps members already serving or those enrolled before the enforcement date.

A copy of the approved policy obtained by our correspondent also revealed that President Tinubu approved an academic output monetisation and reward mechanism, enabling students and lecturers to earn revenues from deposited works.

Spokesperson for NERD, Haula Galadima, explained that every item deposited would include the full name of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor (if any), Head of Department, and sponsoring institution.

She said: “Apart from the mandate to verify for authenticity as a national flagship, the NERD digitisation programme has a clear objective – to raise the bar in the quality of academic content, output and presentation nationwide.

“One way NERD intends to accomplish this task, based on its mandate, is to strengthen the supervision processes in the nation’s higher institutions without getting involved in the processes. If our eminent scholars are aware that their names will appear next to those of the students they supervise on a globally available digital platform, there is the likelihood that each lecturer would up his or her standard.

“Very few lecturers would want their names associated with poorly produced academic works. NERD is therefore poised to help each lecturer earn his ‘earned allowances’ by providing thorough supervision.”

The circular also directed ministries, departments and agencies, as well as higher institutions across the country, to enforce full compliance with the NERD policy.