FG Approves New Mandatory Regulations for NYSC Mobilisation – NYSC 2025
FG Approves New Mandatory Regulations for NYSC Mobilisation – NYSC 2025
Starting October 6, 2025, Nigerian graduates will face a new requirement before they can either join or be exempted from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
President Bola Tinubu has approved that compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) will now be a mandatory condition for all prospective Corps members.
In simple terms, no graduate whether from a Nigerian university, polytechnic, college of education, or an overseas institution will be mobilized for NYSC or granted exemption unless they provide proof of compliance with the NERD policy.
This directive was issued in a circular signed by Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Importantly, the new rule will not affect current serving Corps members or those already mobilised before the enforcement date.
What does NERD compliance mean?
The NERD policy requires students to deposit their academic outputs such as theses, dissertations, or project reports into the national education databank.
According to the SGF, this move is intended to serve as:
- A quality assurance check for academic work.
- A proof of continuous academic enrolment.
- A way to create a time-stamped record of students’ academic footprints, regardless of where they studied.
This requirement applies to all institutions of higher learning in Nigeria as well as Nigerian students studying abroad.
When the NERD policy became effective in March 2023, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, explained that it would strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s higher education system.
By ensuring that students’ academic outputs are properly archived, the government hopes to:
- Combat academic fraud.
- Enhance transparency in education.
- Build a reliable national database of research and scholarly works.
What graduates should know
If you are graduating after October 6, 2025, you must ensure your final year project, thesis, or any required academic work is uploaded and verified in the NERD databank. Without this, you will not be cleared for NYSC mobilisation or exemption.
Those already serving or mobilised before the deadline are not affected.
NERD compliance is now as important as your NYSC call-up letter. If you are a student or fresh graduate, start preparing your documents for submission to avoid last-minute issues.