The Students’ Wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG-SW) and various Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) have expressed mixed reactions to President Bola Tinubu’s directive, making compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) a mandatory requirement for mobilisation into, or exemption from, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

While some student leaders commended the initiative as a bold step toward reforming Nigeria’s education system, others criticised its timing and feasibility, warning that it could impose additional burdens on students and institutions already struggling with limited resources.

The National Coordinator of the Students’ Wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups, Comrade Hassan Adamu, welcomed the policy, describing it as a groundbreaking effort to curb academic credential fraud and promote research integrity.

“It is a welcome development. The policy establishes a national, unified digital platform for managing, preserving, and verifying academic records and publications across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. The mandatory requirement will help ensure compliance,” Adamu said.

He explained that the platform would benefit students by giving visibility to their academic work while protecting them against intellectual property theft.

“This is an opportunity for students to showcase their work and expertise while preventing intellectual theft such as plagiarism. The NERD platform is user-friendly and will help reward creativity and innovation, enabling students to access grants locally and internationally,” he added.

However, the Students’ Union Government President of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Comrade Alex Emmanuel, urged caution, saying that while the policy could transform the education system, its implementation must be handled carefully to avoid unintended hardships.

“The policy has potential as a reform to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s higher education system. If implemented with adequate infrastructure, safeguards, and fairness, it could be an opportunity rather than a hurdle. But the devil is in the execution — that’s where students may feel the pressure,” he said.

Emmanuel warned that Nigeria’s history of ambitious policy rollouts often outpaces institutional capacity, cautioning that many graduates, especially from under-resourced institutions, might see the directive as an additional burden.