FG Makes Thesis Submission Mandatory for NYSC Mobilisation from October 6

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a major reform that makes thesis and project submission mandatory for NYSC mobilisation and exemption, effective October 6, 2025.

The report, obtained from VANGUARD, stated that the directive is tied to compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), which will now serve as a prerequisite for participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

According to a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, “NYSC mobilisation criteria have been adjusted in line with the President’s regulation requiring proof of NERD Policy compliance for all prospective corps members, regardless of where they were educated.”

The new rule mandates Nigerian graduates whether from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, or foreign institutions to deposit their academic outputs such as theses and project reports into the NERD database.

The policy is designed “as a quality assurance check and as a yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation.” It aims to curb certificate fraud, safeguard intellectual assets, and restore credibility to Nigeria’s education system.

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

The directive does not affect serving corps members or those enrolled before the October 6 enforcement date.

President Tinubu also approved an academic output monetisation and reward mechanism for students and lecturers, allowing them to earn lifetime revenue from their academic deposits.

NERD spokesperson, Haula Galadima, explained:

“Each item deposited by a student shall feature the full name of the student, supervisor, co-supervisor (if any), Head of Department, and the sponsoring institution. Apart from the mandate to verify authenticity, the NERD programme seeks to raise the bar in the quality of academic content, output and presentation nationwide.”

She added that the digitisation effort will also ensure accountability among lecturers:

“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, very few lecturers would want their names associated with poorly produced academic works.”

The federal government has directed MDAs and higher institutions to fully enforce the NERD policy, while agencies such as NIMC will provide data exchange support to ensure smooth integration.

This development marks one of the most significant academic reforms in Nigeria in recent years, tying higher education credibility directly to NYSC mobilisation.