…graduates without clearance to be denied access to orientation camps
The Federal Government has introduced a new compulsory requirement for all graduates seeking mobilization for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) — the NERD Clearance Slip.
According to an announcement made on October 7, 2025, the new policy will take effect from NYSC Batch C 2025. It mandates all prospective corps members to obtain a clearance slip from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) before they can participate in the scheme.
The NERD, an official agency under the Federal Ministry of Education, is responsible for collecting, verifying, and storing academic records — including final year projects, theses, and certificates — from universities, polytechnics, and colleges across the country.
The clearance slip serves as official proof that a graduate’s final year project or thesis has been uploaded, verified, and approved in the NERD system.
Why the New Policy?
The Federal Government said the policy aims to curb the spread of fake academic certificates, strengthen data integrity, and ensure that only verified graduates are mobilized for national service.
Among the key objectives are:
- Ensuring the authenticity of academic qualifications.
- Confirming that every mobilized graduate completed their studies.
- Creating a national digital archive of students’ research projects.
- Improving transparency across Nigeria’s higher education system.
Who Is Affected
The directive applies to all graduates mobilized for NYSC Batch C 2025 onward, including both local and foreign-trained graduates.
Even those who completed NYSC registration before the policy announcement are now required to obtain the NERD Clearance Slip from their respective institutions before going to camp.
Steps to Obtain the NERD Clearance Slip
Graduates are expected to:
- Complete and defend their final year project or thesis, duly signed by their Head of Department and Supervisor.
- Prepare both soft (PDF) and hard copies of the project.
- Upload the project to the NERD portal through their institution’s link for review and approval.
- Obtain the approved NERD Clearance Slip from their school’s NYSC or Student Affairs unit.
- Present the slip at the NYSC orientation camp during registration.
Officials have warned that graduates without the clearance slip will not be registered at the orientation camp and will be denied a call-up number, camp accommodation, and NYSC kits.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Failure to complete the clearance process could result in a graduate’s name being omitted from the NYSC Senate list or total disqualification from the current mobilization batch.
Affected graduates would have to return to their schools to complete the NERD clearance before they can be considered for future batches.
Graduates are advised to begin the process early by visiting their institution’s Student Affairs or NYSC unit to confirm the correct procedure for uploading their projects.
They are also urged to ensure that their project documents are properly signed, formatted, and submitted before the upload.
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