The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced that prospective corps members will now be required to present compliance certificates from the Nigeria Educational Repository and Databank (NERD) before mobilisation across the country.
Director-General of NYSC, Olakunle Nafiu, made the announcement on Monday in Abuja during the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Pre-Mobilisation Workshop, which focused on strengthening accountability and compliance in the mobilisation process nationwide.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NERD is a Federal Government initiative designed to improve verification and documentation of academic records while tackling certificate fraud in educational institutions across the country.
Nafiu said the new compliance requirement would take effect from the 2026 Batch B Stream One Orientation Course as part of efforts to enhance the credibility and accountability of the NYSC mobilisation process.
“This policy is a critical step towards curbing credential fraud and ensuring that only genuinely qualified graduates is mobilised.
“We urge Corps Producing Institutions to sensitise their students and ensure strict adherence, and for all stakeholders to support this process for the greater good of the scheme,” Nafiu added.
The NYSC boss stressed that effective mobilisation required collective responsibility among stakeholders, noting that the process depended on strong collaboration between NYSC and relevant institutions nationwide.
He urged participants at the workshop to exchange ideas, address existing challenges and strengthen partnerships, adding that the deliberations would help shape the future of NYSC mobilisation activities.
“When we walk in synergy, we ease the path for our prospective corps members, ensuring that their transition from student to national service member is smooth, transparent, and credible.
“Let us always remember that at the heart of every form, clearance, verification, and compliance procedure is a young individual with dreams and aspirations.
“Our duty as custodians and facilitators of this noble scheme is to make the journey as seamless as possible, while upholding the highest standards of accountability and integrity,” Nafiu said.
He also called for greater innovation in mobilisation operations, emphasising the need for digital platforms, improved data verification systems and stronger inter-agency collaboration to build a more credible mobilisation framework.
“The NYSC mobilisation process must not be static or resistant to innovation. Instead, we must embrace changing dynamics of education, technology, and governance that impact our operations,” Nafiu said.
Nafiu further urged NYSC officials to strengthen internal control mechanisms, improve transparency in deployment and documentation procedures, and prioritise the use of modern technologies for registration, verification and monitoring of prospective corps members.
He advised Corps Producing Institutions to maintain honesty in certifying graduates’ academic status, avoid manipulation or misrepresentation of records, and regularly sensitise students on mobilisation requirements and procedures.
Director of the Corps Mobilisation Department, Rachel Idaewor, described the workshop as a key platform for strengthening collaboration between NYSC, Corps Producing Institutions and other stakeholders involved in the mobilisation process.
Idaewor noted that while progress had been made in improving mobilisation procedures, there was still an urgent need to enhance service delivery across the entire mobilisation value chain nationwide.
“We aim to explore innovative approaches that enhance service delivery and address the challenges that we currently face.
“Maintaining high standards in service delivery is not solely an operational challenge; it impacts the trust and confidence of all stakeholders involved,” Idaewor added.
She urged Student Affairs Officers to carry out their responsibilities with diligence and integrity, ensuring that information submitted for mobilisation accurately reflected the records and profiles of prospective corps members nationwide.
