By FOLASADE AKPAN

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says prospective corps members will now present compliance certificates from the Nigeria Educational Repository and Databank (NERD) before mobilisation nationwide.

Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, said this on Monday in Abuja during the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Pre-Mobilisation Workshop focused on strengthening accountability and compliance within the mobilisation process.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NERD is a Federal Government initiative aimed at improving verification and documentation of academic records while curbing certificate fraud across educational institutions.

Nafiu said implementation of the compliance requirement would commence from the 2026 Batch B Stream One Orientation Course as part of efforts toward strengthening accountability and credibility within the NYSC mobilisation process.

“This policy is a critical step towards curbing credential fraud and ensuring that only genuinely qualified graduates is mobilised.

“We urge Corps Producing Institutions to sensitise their students and ensure strict adherence, and for all stakeholders to support this process for the greater good of the scheme,” Nafiu added.

The director-general emphasised that effective mobilisation required collective responsibility among stakeholders, noting that the process was not solely the responsibility of NYSC but depended on cooperation from relevant institutions.

He urged participants to use the workshop to exchange ideas, address challenges and build partnerships, noting that outcomes from deliberations would significantly shape the future direction of NYSC mobilisation activities.

“When we walk 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.

“Let us always remember that at the heart of every form, clearance, verification, and compliance procedure is a young individual with dreams and aspirations.

“Our duty as custodians and facilitators of this noble scheme is to make the journey as seamless as possible, while upholding the highest standards of accountability and integrity,” Nafiu said.

Nafiu called for innovation within mobilisation operations, emphasising that adoption of digital platforms, improved data verification processes and stronger inter-agency collaboration remained necessary for achieving a more credible mobilisation system.

“The NYSC mobilisation process must not be static or resistant to innovation. Instead, we must embrace changing dynamics of education, technology, and governance that impact our operations,” Nafiu said.

He also urged NYSC officials to strengthen internal control mechanisms, improve transparency in deployment and documentation processes, and prioritise adoption of modern technologies for registration, verification and monitoring of prospective corps members.

Nafiu advised Corps Producing Institutions to uphold honesty when certifying graduates’ academic status, avoid manipulation or misrepresentation of records, and regularly sensitise graduating students regarding mobilisation requirements and procedures.

Director of Corps Mobilisation Department, Mrs Rachel Idaewor, described the workshop as an important platform for strengthening collaboration among NYSC, Corps Producing Institutions and stakeholders involved within the mobilisation process.

Idaewor said although the scheme had achieved progress in improving mobilisation processes, there remained an urgent need to optimise service delivery throughout the entire mobilisation value chain across institutions nationwide effectively.

“We aim to explore innovative approaches that enhance service delivery and address the challenges that we currently face.

“Maintaining high standards in service delivery is not solely an operational challenge; it impacts the trust and confidence of all stakeholders involved,” Idaewor added.

She urged Student Affairs Officers to approach their responsibilities with diligence and integrity, ensuring information provided accurately reflected the true profiles and records of all prospective corps members submitted for mobilisation. (NAN)

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