FG makes NERD compliance mandatory for NYSC participation

Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa

The Federal Government has announced that compliance with the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Bank (NERD) will now be compulsory for graduates seeking to participate in or obtain exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Minister of Education Maruf Alausa disclosed the directive during a national programme on academic records integrity, describing NERD as a digital platform designed to standardise and authenticate academic credentials across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

According to the minister, the new requirement forms part of broader efforts to curb certificate fraud and strengthen the credibility of academic records.

“It is important to clarify that while NERD compliance is now a prerequisite for participation in, or exemption from, the National Youth Service Corps, enforcement extends far beyond NYSC,” Alausa said.

He explained that several key education and training agencies will also require compliance with the platform before providing services. These include the National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education, National Commission for Colleges of Education, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, and the Industrial Training Fund.

Providing updates on the rollout of the platform, the minister said that within four months nearly 100,000 student records had already been digitised. He added that more than 250 tertiary institutions have been onboarded onto the system, with over 133,000 students enrolled so far.

Alausa also revealed that the Federal Government had stopped the trend of Nigerians obtaining fake degrees from unaccredited institutions abroad, particularly in the Republic of Benin.

He said the development followed a whistleblower report that exposed Nigerians travelling to the neighbouring country to acquire illegitimate academic certificates.

“Before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came into government, there was a whistleblower who reported about Nigerians going to the Republic of Benin to study. That has been put to a complete stop. All of those people that got those illegal certificates have been removed from our civil service and public service,” he said.

The minister stressed that the government would strictly enforce the policy to eliminate credential falsification and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.