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NYSC Mobilisation & Academic Standards – Raising quality or adding pressure on students?

On September 29, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved a reform linking the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation process to the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).

By invoking Sections 2(4)(4) and 16(1)(C) of the NYSC Act, Tinubu stated that no graduate, whether from a Nigerian or foreign institution, will be mobilised for or exempted from NYSC without proof of compliance with the NERD policy.

In a common man's understanding, the Federal Government has announced that Nigerian students must now submit their final-year projects or thesis before they can be mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). This policy aims to improve academic standards, ensuring that no student skips essential academic requirements before entering the NYSC scheme.

On the surface, this sounds like a laudable idea, but a deeper look reveals a different reality. In many universities, students are allowed to graduate and mobilised for NYSC without completing their final year projects, either due to financial problems, poor supervision, or corruption in the system. 

Enforcing project submission could force schools and students to take the process more seriously, leading to better research quality and accountability. However, on the flip side, the reality for many students is tougher. Project writing is really expensive; students often complain about high printing costs, data to conduct research, and “hidden charges” from supervisors or departments.

So, with this new policy, students may experience extra stress, especially those already struggling to pay school fees or those studying in underfunded institutions with little or no support.

With this, it raises a concerning and essential question: Is the policy about raising standards or simply adding more pressure on students?

Why the policy was introduced

In some Nigerian universities, students' project writing isn’t taken seriously enough. Some students graduate without completing theirs, either due to poor supervision, financial struggles, or loopholes in the system. 

Making project or thesis submission a compulsory requirement for NYSC mobilisation, the federal government hopes to make universities more accountable, improve the quality of research students produce, and prevent any dishonest practices or corruption in how final-year assessments are conducted.

This new policy ensures that Nigerian graduates meet a certain academic standard before moving into national service.

For NERD policy to thrive, what needs to change 

First and foremost, Nigerian universities need to offer stronger support systems, including research materials, affordable printing, and better supervision, so the students aren’t stranded and lost. Secondly, departments in schools should also be transparent and stop demanding illegal fees, otherwise known as ‘sorting’, which makes completing projects extremely expensive.

Also, the intention of keeping high academic standards is excellent, but policies made should consider that many students are already struggling financially, especially with the present state of the country.

In conclusion, the new NYSC mobilisation policy enforced by the federal government is a double-edged sword. It could improve Nigeria’s academic credibility if done the right way, but without proper support and actionable plans in motion, it risks becoming another burden, delaying mobilisation, pushing more students into frustration, and even delaying their future careers.

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