By Nkechi Eze
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the Federal Government’s directive mandating all Prospective Corps Members to present a compliance certificate from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) as part of efforts to curb certificate fraud and ensure that only genuine graduates are mobilized for national service.
According to an official signed statement by the Director, Information and Public Relations, NYSC, Caroline Embu, the Director-General of the Scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this during his keynote address at the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Pre-Mobilization Workshop held in Abuja.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Institutional Accountability and Compliance in the NYSC Mobilization Process for Effective Service Delivery,” brought together key stakeholders involved in the mobilization process.
Brigadier General Nafiu appealed to Corps Producing Institutions to adequately sensitize their students and ensure strict compliance with the NERD certification initiative.
He stressed that the mobilization process was not the sole responsibility of the NYSC, urging regulatory bodies, security agencies, and relevant ministries to support the Scheme through policy guidance, capacity building, and enforcement of compliance standards.
“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.
The NYSC Director-General further urged stakeholders to confront challenges within the system with courage and innovation.
“Let us be bold in confronting the obstacles before us and creative in fashioning solutions that will stand the test of time. Let us build a more accountable, transparent, and efficient mobilization process for the benefit of all,” Nafiu added.
Earlier in her remarks, the NYSC Director, Corps Mobilization, Mrs. Rachel Ideawor, described the Pre-Mobilization Workshop as a critical platform for strengthening collaboration between the Scheme, Corps Producing Institutions, and other stakeholders.
She noted that while significant progress had been recorded in improving the mobilization process, there was still a need to optimize service delivery across the entire mobilization value chain.
“I urge our Student Affairs Officers to approach their responsibilities with diligence and integrity, ensuring that the information provided accurately reflects the true profiles of Prospective Corps Members,” Ideawor said.
The workshop was attended by representatives of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), SIDMACH Technologies, as well as 266 Student Affairs Officers from Corps Producing Institutions across the country.
