FG makes NERD compliance mandatory for NYSC mobilisation, exemptions
The Federal Government has announced that compliance with the Nigeria Education Repository and Data Park (NERD) is now compulsory for all prospective participants in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), as well as for those seeking exemptions from the scheme.
Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, made the disclosure on Thursday during a national capacity-building programme for school representatives in Abuja. He explained that NERD, launched in 2023, is a national digital platform designed to manage, verify, and preserve academic records, aiming to curb certificate fraud and strengthen institutional accountability.
“It is important to clarify that while NERD compliance is now a prerequisite for NYSC participation or exemption, enforcement extends beyond this scheme,” Alausa said. “Agencies including TETFund, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, and the Industrial Training Fund, as well as all accredited tertiary institutions, are required to ensure compliance as a condition for accessing their services.”
The minister noted that the platform ensures transparency, traceability, and accountability in academic record-keeping. He highlighted the National Credential Verification Service, which maintains a digital footprint of every academic award obtained in Nigerian institutions, as a critical measure to eliminate credential falsification.
According to Alausa, in just four months of enforcement, nearly 100,000 digital student submissions have been curated, with over 350 tertiary institutions onboarded for real-time verification. More than 133,000 students and 6,800 lecturers are currently registered on the platform, supported by 655 designated focal persons nationwide and over 1,000 digital service centres established in collaboration with Nigerian tech entrepreneurs.
The minister emphasised the importance of safeguarding academic integrity, recalling past incidents where fraudulent certificates were issued by non-existent institutions abroad. “All illegal certificates identified have led to the removal of offenders from the civil service,” he said.
To further encourage academic excellence, Alausa announced the launch of the NERD Annual National Knowledge Prize, which will award outstanding undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses with prizes ranging from N5 million to N20 million. He urged institutions to prioritise internal verification, digital capacity development, and compliance.
Tunji Ariyomo, CEO of NERD, added that the platform preserves Nigeria’s academic and historical records, improves supervision of theses and dissertations, and addresses copyright and intellectual property issues, ensuring proper recognition and protection of academic work.
