Mandatory NERD Clearance for NYSC Mobilization: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide for PCMs

If you’re a Nigerian student or graduate, particularly an intending Prospective Corps Member (PCM), your path to the NYSC orientation camp is now dependent on obtaining NERD Clearance. Compliance with this new Federal Government policy is mandatory for services like NYSC mobilization, employee verification, and checks by foreign missions.

This detailed guide, based on the public clarification issued by the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD), explains the entire process—from enrollment to printing your final clearance slip.

1. Understanding NERD Clearance and Its Role in NYSC

What is NERD?

NERD stands for the Nigeria Education Repository & Databank. It is the nation’s official flagship platform for the digitization, verification, and academic data reference framework for education records.

What is NERD Clearance?

NERD Clearance is the process by which your Academic Outputs are duly captured and permanently logged in the National Database of NERD / NCVS (National Credential Verification Service). Academic Outputs include both:

• Credentials (certificates, transcripts, results, diplomas).
• Item Submissions (Project Reports, theses, dissertations, SIWES/I.T. reports, etc.).

Once validated by your institution, your records become unalterable, instantly verifiable, and nationally referenceable with unique national verifiers like the National Credential Number (NCN).

Why is it Mandatory for NYSC?

NERD Clearance is a compulsory prerequisite for accessing certain services, including NYSC mobilization, as a measure to protect academic integrity and verify credentials.

2. Your PCM Responsibilities: Enrollment and Project Upload

As a PCM, your main task is the digital submission of your final-year academic work and processing your clearance. The entire process is digital, and students do not need to travel.

A. Authorised NERD URLs

• Enrolment Link: All initial registrations take place here: https://ned.gov.ng/onboarding. (This URL became active on October 6, 2025 ).
• Upload/Login Link: Once enrolled, you log in here to upload your project and process clearance: https://ned.gov.ng/login. (This URL became active on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 ).

B. The 2025 NYSC Batch C Focus

Due to the enforcement directive being close to the 2025 Batch C mobilization, NERD is relaxing the academic credential component to give institutions more time to familiarize themselves with the framework.

• Priority: Your current priority for mobilization clearance is the upload and verification of your Project Report, Thesis, or Dissertation.
• NCVS Status: You may notice that the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS) component is not enforced in your clearance at this time, but this will not impact your current mobilization clearance.

3. Step-by-Step Guide: Uploading Your Project to NERD 📝

Follow these steps once you have logged into the NERD dashboard (https://ned.gov.ng/login):

1. Check Identity: Once logged in, check the name, institution, and department at the top of the dashboard to confirm they are correct.
2. Access Upload Menu: Click the “Upload Thesis, etc” menu on the left sidebar (or the hamburger menu on a mobile phone).
3. Select Submission Type: Choose the correct type: Project, Dissertation, Thesis, etc..
4. Add Title: Input the exact approved title of your work as it appears in your institution-approved copy.
5. Add Meta Title & Description: Re-input your title as the meta title, and add a very short summary as the meta description.
6. Generate Keywords: Use the menu to generate or add your preferred keywords.
7. Upload Certification Page: Upload the duly signed Certification Page of your work (the single page showing the names of your Supervisors/HODs).
8. Paste Content: Copy and paste the text of your approved work one section after another into the text areas provided. This covers: Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Recommendations, Acknowledgements, Appendices, and References.
9. Add Figure: Add at least one Figure that best represents your work (you can add up to 10).
10. Submit: Click “Submit Project“. The NERD system will automatically build a verifiable PDF from your inputs. Uploading a separate PDF version is optional and not required

4. Step-by-Step Guide: Printing Your Clearance Slip 🖨️

The Clearance Slip is the effective proof of your compliance and is required for NYSC mobilization.

1. Go to Clearance Menu: Click on the “Process NERD Clearance” menu. You will see your submitted work(s) here.
2. Affirm Supervisors: Click on “Affirm Supervisors” to add the details of your HODs and Supervisors (this is a temporary provision ahead of lecturer onboarding). Then, go back to Process Clearance.
3. Click Print Clearance: Click the “Print Clearance” button.
4. System Check: If you haven’t input your Supervisor and HOD details, the system will enforce it at this stage and disable the print/save buttons until you comply.
5. Generation: Once all requirements are met, your NERD Compliance clearance is immediately generated, complete with its National Document Number (NDN).
6. Print/Save: You can now Save the slip as a PDF, Print it, Share it, or Send it via Email.

5. Critical Notes and Institutional Responsibilities

• Future Students: Institutions should onboard 400, 300, and 200-level students now to avoid future delays, as onboarding is required to start when students are freshmen (100-levels).
• HOD/Supervisor Authentication: From January 2026, project Supervisors and HODs are required to digitally authenticate student submissions on NERD as part of a national education integrity check.
• SIWES/IT Reports: Section 3.16 of the NERD regulations makes the deposit or submission of your SIWES or Industrial Training report a mandatory prerequisite for processing SIWES funds and associated privileges from the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
• Institutional Responsibility: Institutions, via their appointed NERD Record Officers, are responsible for electronically uploading your academic credentials (certificates, results, etc.) to the national database.

Official NERD Support Contacts 📞

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NERD Clearance and NYSC Mobilization: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are the answers to the most common questions about the mandatory NERD Compliance Clearance, derived from the official public clarification.