The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced stricter regulations in the education sector, declaring that graduates without proper registration on the National Education Records Database (NERD) will not be eligible for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, who explained that the new directive is part of the government’s broader efforts to curb certificate fraud and strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
According to the minister, all tertiary institutions across the country must ensure that their graduates are properly captured in the National Education Records Database before they can be mobilized for the mandatory one-year national service. The database serves as an official digital record that verifies the authenticity of academic qualifications issued by recognized institutions.
Under the new rules, graduates whose details are not uploaded and verified on the NERD platform will not be allowed to participate in the NYSC programme. This means such individuals may face delays or complete exclusion from the national service until their records are properly validated.
The policy follows growing concerns about the rise in fake academic certificates and unaccredited institutions producing graduates who attempt to participate in the NYSC scheme. By linking NYSC mobilization strictly to the NERD system, the government aims to improve transparency and prevent individuals with questionable credentials from entering the programme.
Education authorities also emphasized that tertiary institutions now have a greater responsibility to maintain accurate student records and submit them promptly to the national database. Institutions that fail to comply with the directive may face sanctions from the regulatory bodies.
Officials believe that the new measure will help restore confidence in Nigeria’s educational qualifications, while ensuring that only legitimate graduates benefit from the NYSC scheme.
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Students and graduates are therefore advised to confirm that their academic records have been correctly uploaded to the NERD platform by their institutions to avoid any issues during NYSC mobilization.