The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced that only graduates who present a compliance certificate from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) will be allowed to take part in national service mobilization.
Naija News reports that the Director-General of the NYSC, Olakunle Nafiu, made this known during the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Pre-Mobilization Workshop held in Abuja. The event focused on improving accountability and proper compliance in the mobilisation process.
According to the NYSC boss, the decision is part of efforts to stop certificate fraud and improve the credibility of the mobilisation system.
He said the scheme would continue to follow the Federal Government’s directive requiring every prospective corps member to obtain the NERD compliance certificate before they can be mobilised.
He stated that the responsibility of maintaining a transparent mobilisation system should not rest on the NYSC alone. He urged regulatory agencies, security bodies and relevant ministries to work together with the scheme by providing support through policies, training and proper enforcement.
The NYSC Director-General said stronger cooperation among stakeholders would make the movement from school to national service easier for prospective corps members while also helping to maintain trust in the system.
He added that institutions involved in mobilisation must work towards building a process that is transparent, accountable and efficient.