By Harriet Tornguvan
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reiterated that only graduates who present a compliance certificate from the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) will be mobilised for national service, as part of efforts to curb certificate fraud and strengthen the integrity of the mobilization process.
Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, made this known during 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 of Prospective Corps Members (PCMs).
Nafiu said the enforcement of the Federal Government’s directive requiring all PCMs to obtain NERD compliance certificates was aimed at ensuring that only genuine graduates participate in the national service programme.
He urged Corps Producing Institutions (CPIs) to intensify awareness among their students and ensure strict adherence to the policy.
The NYSC Director-General stressed that the responsibility for credible mobilization does not rest solely on the Scheme, calling on regulatory agencies, security organisations and relevant government ministries to provide policy support, capacity building and enforcement mechanisms.
“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,” Nafiu stated.
He further challenged stakeholders to confront existing challenges with determination 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,” he said.
Earlier, the NYSC Director of Corps Mobilization, Mrs. Rachel Ideawor, described the pre-mobilization workshop as an important platform for strengthening collaboration between the Scheme, Corps Producing Institutions and other stakeholders.
Ideawor acknowledged progress made in improving the mobilization process but noted that more work was needed to enhance service delivery throughout the mobilization chain.
She called on Student Affairs Officers to discharge their duties with diligence and integrity, emphasizing the importance of providing accurate information on prospective corps members.
“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,” she said.
The workshop attracted representatives from 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, and 266 Student Affairs Officers from Corps Producing Institutions nationwide.
