The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has made it clear that no graduate will be mobilised for national service without first presenting a compliance certificate from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, made this known during his keynote address at the 2026 Batch B Pre-Mobilization Workshop held in Abuja.
The workshop was themed “Strengthening Institutional Accountability and Compliance in the NYSC Mobilization Process for Effective Service Delivery.”
General Nafiu said the move was part of the Federal Government’s directive to curb certificate fraud and ensure that only genuine graduates are admitted into the service year programme.
He appealed to Corps Producing Institutions (CPIs) to sensitise their students and enforce strict compliance with the NERD certificate requirement.
The DG also stressed that the mobilisation process was a shared responsibility, urging regulatory bodies, security agencies, and relevant ministries to lend their support through policy guidance, capacity building, and enforcement.
“When we work in synergy, we ease the path for our Prospective Corps Members, ensuring that their transition from student to national service is smooth, transparent, and credible,” he said.
He added, “Let us build a more accountable, transparent, and efficient mobilization process for the benefit of all.”
Speaking earlier, the NYSC Director of Corps Mobilization, Mrs. Rachel Ideawor, described the workshop as a vital platform for strengthening collaboration between the scheme, institutions, and key stakeholders.
She called on Student Affairs Officers to carry out their responsibilities with diligence and integrity, ensuring that the profiles submitted for Prospective Corps Members were accurate and truthful.
The workshop was attended by representatives from JAMB, NUC, NBTE, the Federal Ministry of Education, NERD, SIDMACH Technologies, and 266 Student Affairs Officers from institutions across the country.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
