Tinubu Fix October 6 As Deadline for NERD Compliance for NYSC Mobilisation

President Bola Tinubu don use him power under NYSC Act approve say every graduate gatz follow the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) Policy before dem fit do NYSC or even collect exemption. This new rule wey dey inside Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC law, na part of circular wey the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, don sign and send give everybody. According to Akume, the President don give green light to adjust NYSC mobilisation requirement make e match this new NERD Policy. Meaning say, all graduates wey wan enter NYSC whether dem go school for Naija or abroad  must show proof say dem don comply with the NERD Policy before dem go fit go service or get exemption. One of the main things wey this policy go stop na certificate runs and fake honours. Under the new rule, every Nigerian student must submit their school work like project, thesis, or any academic report for the NERD database.

For inside Section 6.1.23 of the policy, dem talk say this submission go serve as quality assurance and also as yearly proof say the person dey enrolled for school. E go help timestamp academic activities no matter where the student dey. The circular from SGF come clear one earlier statement from Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa. E talk say from October 6, 2025, any Nigerian graduate whether from university, polytechnic, college of education or even school abroad no go fit do NYSC or get exemption if dem never follow the NERD Policy. Dem say this move na big step to protect Nigeria brain power and bring back respect for academic process and qualification. But people wey don already dey serve or don register before October 6 no need worry the new law no affect dem. The NERD policy wey Tinubu approve also get another benefit. E go allow students and lecturers collect money for the academic work dem submit. Minister Alausa propose this reward package so that people go fit earn steady money from their project or thesis wey dem deposit. Each school go also set up their own NERD branch (local repository), and the policy go connect all the different schools and institutions wey before dey operate on their own.

Federal Government don order all Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) and schools to start full implementation of the NERD Policy. Bodies like National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) go provide tech support to help verify and validate data through APIs. NERD spokesperson, Haula Galadima, talk say every work wey student submit go carry the student full name, supervisor name, co-supervisor (if any), Head of Department name, and the name of the school and department wey sponsor the work. She say the goal of the digitisation project no just be to verify originality, but to make sure academic quality for Nigeria go higher. According to her, when lecturers know say their names go appear beside the student name for global platform, dem go take their job serious. “NERD wan make sure say any lecturer wey supervise student work go really earn their supervision allowance well. Nobody go wan put him name on top yeye academic work,” she talk. NERD Policy na Nigeria answer to many years of wasted brainwork. For too long, better theses, research projects and dissertations wey fit help agriculture, medicine, engineering, and government just dey gather dust inside library. Now, NYSC go serve as checker to make sure say every graduate contribute to Nigeria knowledge pool. From every March 30, all schools and organisations must submit annual compliance report to NERD to make sure say everything dey go as e suppose.