FG makes thesis submission compulsory for NYSC mobilisation

The Federal Government has approved a new policy mandating the submission of final-year theses and projects into the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank as a prerequisite for mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps.

The directive, which takes effect from October 6, requires all graduates — whether trained in Nigeria or abroad — to provide proof of compliance before they can be mobilised or granted exemption from the NYSC.

The policy was conveyed in a circular issued on Saturday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who noted that President Bola Tinubu had given approval.

According to the circular, the NYSC mobilisation criteria have been 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 NERD policy mandates students to deposit their academic outputs, including theses and project reports, into a national database. Section 6.1.23 of the NERD guidelines states that the measure serves as “a quality assurance check and as a yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation.”

Speaking on the reform, NERD spokesperson, Haula Galadima, said the initiative would help improve the quality of academic work in Nigerian institutions.

“Each item shall feature the full name of the student, those of his supervisor, co-supervisor if any, and that of the Head of Department, as well as the sponsoring institution and department,” Galadima explained.

She added that the move would also encourage lecturers to maintain high standards in project supervision, given that their names would appear alongside those of their students on a globally accessible platform.

In March, while declaring the NERD policy effective, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had noted that submission of academic outputs would be made mandatory.

“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,” Alausa said.

A copy of the policy also revealed that President Tinubu approved an academic output monetisation mechanism to reward students and lecturers, enabling them to earn lifetime revenues from their deposits.

The SGF clarified that the new rules would apply to all graduates from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and foreign institutions but would not affect those already mobilised before the October 6 enforcement date.

With the reform, the government said it aimed to curb certificate racketeering, protect intellectual property, and strengthen the credibility of higher education qualifications in the country.