President Bola Tinubu has greenlit a sweeping mandate requiring all Nigerian graduates—domestic or abroad—to upload theses and projects to the National Education Repository and Databank before qualifying for National Youth Service Corps mobilization or exemption, a move kicking in October 6 to sharpen academic oversight and unlock earnings from scholarly work.

The directive, detailed in a circular from Secretary to the Government George Akume, spares current corps members but demands proof of NERD compliance for newcomers, aiming to timestamp and verify outputs like a digital academic fingerprint.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa, who spearheaded the policy's March rollout, stressed its role in boosting quality: "It raises the bar without meddling in daily processes." Under the scheme, institutions must host local repositories, with NIMC APIs easing data swaps for validation.

Students and lecturers stand to monetize deposits lifetime, a carrot to fuel supervision rigor—fewer profs keen to stamp subpar work on a global ledger, per NERD spokesperson Haula Galadima.

The policy's collaborative framework shatters silos, letting autonomous schools share verified footprints, while federal backing ensures enforcement across public, private, military, and even nursing or ag colleges.

Akume's missive to ministries flags full rollout, positioning NERD as a safeguard for integrity in a system long dogged by ghost degrees.