The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced that prospective corps members must obtain clearance from the National Electronic Registration Database (NERD) before they can be mobilised for national service.

The scheme said the requirement is now mandatory for all prospective corps members, warning that failure to secure the clearance could delay mobilisation for the 2026 Batch ‘B’ service year.

In a notice posted on its official X account on Monday, the NYSC urged prospective corps members to complete the process early to avoid unnecessary delays.

“This is to inform PCMs (Prospective Corps Members) that without NERD clearance, no NYSC. Get your NERD clearance early. Avoid delays in your mobilisation,” the scheme stated.

Reiterating the directive, the NYSC added, “NERD clearance is compulsory for all PCMs. No NERD clearance, No NYSC!!!”

Although the scheme did not provide further details on the clearance process, it said the measure forms part of efforts to strengthen its verification system ahead of the next orientation exercise.

The directive comes shortly after the NYSC announced the mobilisation of prospective corps members for the 2026 Batch ‘B’ service year and urged tertiary institutions and eligible graduates to complete all necessary documentation.

It also follows a recent safety advisory in which the scheme warned prospective corps members against travelling at night to orientation camps, advising them to break their journeys where necessary and lodge in safe locations or designated military and security facilities.

The NYSC said prospective corps members are expected to complete all registration and verification requirements, including the newly emphasised NERD clearance, before reporting to orientation camps.