The Federal Government of Nigeria has indeed made thesis submission mandatory for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) participants. Here’s what you need to know:
– New Requirement: Graduates seeking NYSC mobilization or exemption must submit their academic theses or project reports to the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
– Effective Date: This policy takes effect from October 6, 2025, meaning all new graduates must comply before mobilization.
– Purpose: The policy aims to:
– Curbing Certificate Racketeering: Verify the authenticity of academic credentials.
– *Protecting Intellectual Property*: Safeguard Nigeria’s intellectual assets.
– Enhancing Credibility: Strengthen the credibility of higher education qualifications.
– Who’s Affected: All graduates from Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and foreign institutions are required to comply.
– What to Submit: Academic outputs, including theses, dissertations, final-year projects, and research projects, must be deposited into the NERD platform.
– Benefits: The policy encourages better supervision from lecturers, as their names will appear alongside student works on a globally accessible platform, and allows students and lecturers to earn lifetime royalties from their academic deposits.
Existing corps members or those mobilized before October 6, 2025, are exempt from this requirement. However, all new graduates must comply with the NERD policy to be eligible for NYSC mobilization or exemption.
