The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that all prospective corps members will, from the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream 1 Orientation Course, be required to present a compliance certificate from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) as part of their mobilisation process.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the 2026 Batch ‘B’ pre-mobilisation workshop with the theme, “Strengthening Institutional Accountability and Compliance in the NYSC Mobilization Process.”
Nafiu said the new requirement was part of efforts to strengthen accountability, curb certificate fraud and ensure that only qualified graduates are mobilised for national service.
“In line with our drive towards greater accountability, I wish to officially announce that, effective from the 2026 Batch B Stream 1 Orientation Course, the NYSC shall enforce the Federal Executive Council’s directive mandating that all PCMs obtain and present a compliance certificate from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD),” he said.
He added, “This policy is a critical step towards curbing credential fraud and ensuring that only genuinely qualified graduates are mobilised.”
The NYSC boss explained that the reform was in line with a directive of FEC aimed at sanitising the mobilisation process and restoring greater credibility to the scheme.
Nafiu stressed that the mobilisation exercise was a shared responsibility involving the NYSC, Corps Producing Institutions, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and other regulatory agencies, noting that effective collaboration remained key to maintaining the integrity of the process.
“The mobilisation process is not the responsibility of NYSC alone; it is a collective enterprise. When we work 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,” he said.
He called on institutions to ensure strict adherence to mobilisation guidelines, warning against the manipulation or distortion of graduate records submitted for service.
Nafiu also urged stakeholders to embrace innovation and digital reforms that would enhance efficiency and transparency in the system.
“In today’s rapidly evolving world, the only constant is change. The NYSC mobilisation process must not be static or resistant to innovation,” he stated.
He said the scheme would continue to strengthen internal control mechanisms and deepen the use of digital verification tools to improve monitoring and accountability.
According to him, JAMB remains central to the authentication of admission and graduation records, while other agencies are expected to provide policy guidance and enforcement support to ensure credibility in the mobilisation process.
The NYSC Director-General described the workshop as a critical platform for addressing challenges affecting mobilisation and building consensus on sustainable reforms.
“As we commence this workshop, let us remember that our collective efforts today will shape the future of NYSC mobilisation and, by extension, our nation’s future,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director of Corps Mobilisation, Mrs Rachel Idaewor, said the workshop was designed to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders involved in the mobilisation process and improve service delivery.
She described the pre-mobilisation workshop as a “vital platform for fostering collaboration among the NYSC, Corps Producing Institutions, and other critical stakeholders.”
Idaewor noted that while progress had been made in recent years, there was still a need to improve efficiency and address emerging challenges in the mobilisation value chain.
“This workshop’s theme, ‘Strengthening Institutional Accountability and Compliance in the NYSC Mobilisation Process for Effective Service Delivery,’ highlights our commitment to improving the processes that underpin our mobilisation strategy,” she said.
She identified technology as a key driver of reform, adding that digital systems would help streamline operations and improve data accuracy in the mobilisation process.
“By utilising advanced data management systems and digital tools, we can streamline our processes and ensure that we are maximising our potential for success in mobilising our youth for national service,” she stated.
Idaewor also highlighted the roles of key partners, including the Federal Ministry of Education, JAMB, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Universities Commission (NUC) and SIDMACH Technologies, in safeguarding the integrity of the system.
She urged Student Affairs Officers in tertiary institutions to ensure accuracy in the records submitted to NYSC, stressing that integrity at the institutional level remained crucial to the success of the mobilisation process.
“We should all come together as a cohesive team, drawing inspiration from our past successes while embracing the challenges that lie ahead,” she said.
The workshop had in attendance representatives of Corps Producing Institutions, JAMB officials, regulatory agencies and senior NYSC officials from across the country.
