News Agency of Nigeria
FG approves new NYSC mandatory regulations

FG approves new NYSC mandatory regulations

President Bola Tinubu has approved the 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).

The provides that, effective from Oct. 6, no Nigerian graduate – whether from a Nigerian university, polytechnic, college of education, or an overseas institution would be mobilised for or exempted from NYSC without proof of NERD compliance.

This directive was contained in circular issued to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on Sunday in Abuja.

The directive does not, however, affect serving Corps members or those enrolled before the enforcement date.

Akume said that the compliance directive was to convey the approval for the adjustment of “NYSC mobilisation criteria in accordance with the President’s regulation requiring proof of NERD Policy compliance for all prospective Corps members, regardless of where they were educated.”

Part of the new mandatory requirements of Nigerian students in the policy is the deposit of academic outputs, which include thesis or project reports.

”(It is designed) as a quality assurance check and as a yearly independent proof of continuous academic enrolment and affiliation as it is expected to inviolably time-stamp scholarship, academic activities, and footprint regardless of location.”

In March 2025, while issuing the Declaration of Effectiveness for NERD, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, gave more insights on it.

”The approved stipulations for mandatory submission of academic outputs as provided in Sections 2.3, 4.3(1), and 7.6.11(c), among others, of the approved National Policy for the NERD Programme shall become obligatory requirements in Nigeria.

“The NERD Policy applies in equal measures to all education delivery institutions regardless of ownership type (public, private, military or civilian) whether within or outside the direct supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education, such as Colleges or Schools of Nursing, Agriculture, specialised research centres and institutes, etc.”

The President also approved an academic output monetisation and reward mechanism for students and their lecturers, which was proposed to the Federal Executive Council by Alausa to ensure students and lecturers can earn lifetime revenues from their academic deposits.

The policy encourages each higher institution to set up its local repository.

More significantly, the policy creates a pathway with a well-structured collaborative framework where the various autonomous institutions had hitherto operated as silos.

The Federal Government’s circular to MDAs, and higher institutions of learning directs full enforcement of the NERD Policy.

In addition, critical data bodies, including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), are to provide inter-organisation data exchange support via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to facilitate onboarding and data validation.

Underscoring the significance of the directive, spokesperson for NERD, Haula Galadima, explained that each item deposited by a student shall feature the full name of the student, and those of his supervisor, co-supervisor, if any, and that of the Head of Department, as well as the sponsoring institution and department.

“Apart from the mandate to verify for authenticity as a national flagship, the NERD digitisation programme has a clear objective – to raise the bar in the quality of academic content, output and presentation nationwide.

”One way NERD intends to accomplish this task, based on its mandate, is to strengthen the supervision processes in the nation’s higher institutions without getting involved in the processes.

”If our eminent scholars are aware that their names will appear next to those of the students they supervise on a globally available digital platform, there is the likelihood that each lecturer would up his or her standard.

”Very few lecturers would want their names associated with poorly produced academic works. NERD is therefore poised to help each lecturer earn his ‘earned allowances’ by providing thorough supervision.”

Galadima said the onboarding process for MDAs, higher institutions, and corporate organisations is through https://ned.gov.ng/onboarding.(NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

Institute automates certification, tightens regulation for standard projects

Institute automates certification, tightens regulation for standard projects

By Lucy Ogalue

The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN), has inaugurated a digital registration and certification verification platform.

According to the Registrar-General of CIPMN, Mr Henry Mbadiwe, it is aimed at strengthening professional standards and regulatory enforcement in Nigeria’s project management space.

Mbadiwe said this at the closing of the Institute’s 2025 Mid-Year Training Programme and Induction in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the institute had phased out manual registration and now operated a secure, digital-only process for onboarding new members and verifying all issued certificates and licences.

“We no longer accept paper registrations. Every registration with CIPMN must now be processed through our online portal.

“Every certificate and licence issued is digitally secured and instantly verifiable through QR code scanning.

“Once a project manager presents a certificate or licence, it can be verified on the spot using a smartphone. The system searches the CIPMN database and confirms the authenticity of the presented credentials,” he said.

According to him, this technological upgrade aligns with global best practices and enhances trust in the project management profession in Nigeria.

The CIPMN boss also confirmed that the system complies with Nigeria’s data protection laws, following consultations with the Data Protection Commission.

“None of the data displayed during verification breaches any legal framework. It’s a secure and transparent process that will foster public confidence,” Mbadiwe said.

He stressed the importance of project management in driving national development, saying that it was the tool that translates strategies into actionable and measurable outcomes.

“Project management is not just for construction. Every initiative with a start and end date is a project.

“Without trained and licenced project managers, we waste time and resources. Our report has shown that more than 17 trillion dollars is being lost to unstructured project delivery,” he said.

Mbadiwe said the institute had begun enforcing compliance with its regulatory framework, warning that institutions or individuals managing projects without CIPMN licensure would face legal consequences.

“We are taking more decisive steps. This year, we will begin visiting non-compliant organisations.

“After giving warnings, we will seek court orders to shut down sites or stop project execution. The law is clear, you must be licenced to deliver projects in Nigeria,” he said

The Registrar-General likened CIPMN’s role to that of other professional regulators such as the Medical and Dental Council or the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), noting that project management must now be treated with the same seriousness.

Mbadiwe also revealed that several public and private sector institutions were already complying, including Shell, NLNG, Lagos Business School, and MDAs such as PENCOM, ITF, SON, and the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs.
“We are collaborating closely with the Bureau of Public Procurement to ensure that only licenced project managers can bid for and manage government contracts

“No agency, not even our supervisory ministry, can ignore this law,” he said.

He then called for deeper collaboration across sectors to ensure full compliance and reduce project failure rates across Nigeria.

The President and Chairman of CIPMN Council, Mr Emmanuel Afolayan, said the institute was determined to build an “army of professionals” equipped to manage projects across Nigeria with competence, discipline, and efficiency.

“ The goal is to achieve desired results without compromising standards or quality. Project management is a critical tool for achieving economic transformation.

” With proper training and licencing, professionals will be able to deliver value-driven projects that align with national goals.

An inductee, Mr Akins Kinsley, described the training as a turning point in his professional journey.

“I have been supervising projects in the past, but this training has exposed me to better ways of managing them. Now, I understand the importance of delivering projects to international standards from start to finish,” Kinsley said.

Another inductee, Mr Idehai Frederick, said the training had deepened his understanding of project management methodologies, which he intended to apply in journalism and public relations. (NAN)

Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

Authority revokes defunct DPR regulations

Authority revokes defunct DPR regulations

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), says regulations administered by the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in respect of midstream and downstream petroleum operations are revoked in its proposed 2024 regulations.

It also revoked all regulations published in the Federal Gazette that have been consolidated into the 2024 Regulations and Petroleum Refining Regulations 1974.

The authority made this known in Abuja during a presentation on the ‘Structure of the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Operations Regulations, 2024′ by its Secretary and Legal Adviser, Dr Joseph Tolorunse.

Tolorunse, in an overview of the regulations at its stakeholders consultation forum on the proposed midstream and downstream petroleum operations regulations 2024, said it also revoked the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Operations Regulations, 2023.

“Licence, permit and authorisation application and processing fees moved to Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Fees Regulations (Draft).

“The revocation of the Regulations specified in regulations 145 (1) and (2) shall not affect anything done or purported to be done under the revoked regulations.

“Any regulations administered by defunct Department of Petroleum Resources in respect of Midstream and Downstream Petroleum operations are hereby revoked,” he said.

Earlier, the Authority Chief Executive, NMDPRA, Mr Farouk Ahmed said the stakeholders’ consultation was in furtherance of Section 216 of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.

Ahmed, represented by Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure/Chairman, Technical Team on Stakeholders’ Engagement said the PIA section mandated stakeholders’ consultation prior to the finalisation of regulations made under the Act.

“Section 33 of the PIA is to the effect that the Authority may make regulations for all activities relating to midstream and downstream petroleum operations in Nigeria”.

He said the proposed 2024 Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Operations Regulations (Operations Regulations) consolidated 12 of the authority’s earlier gazetted or published regulations into a single document.

“The consolidation process has enabled NMDPRA to reduce complexities of navigating and implementing its numerous regulations and streamline operations in the midstream and downstream petroleum regulatory industry.

“The process has enabled the authority to address inconsistencies in the regulatory space; and engender further compliance with the PIA and Regulations made thereto.

“The proposed Operations Regulations are also in consonance with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to promoting ease of doing business in Nigeria.

“These regulations are to be read in conjunction with other regulations made by the authority, including the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Fees Regulations which provide for the prescribed fees for midstream and downstream petroleum activities,” he said.

According to him, the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Fees Regulations, following a successful stakeholder consultation and approval of the Ministers of State for Petroleum Resources, would soon be published in the Federal Government Gazette. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

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