The Federal Government has announced plans to replace the National Youth Service Corps’ (NYSC) traditional khaki uniform with Adire fabric.
The development was described as part of broad reforms aimed at modernising the scheme and promoting local industries.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed the change on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television. He stated that the decision is designed to support indigenous textile production and ensure government spending benefits Nigeria’s economy.
He said:
“It’s Adire. So, Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have them in Ogun, we have them in Kwara, we have textile industry. Let’s put our money back into the country,”
Beyond the uniform redesign, Olawande stressed that the new NYSC reforms are restructured to ensure corps members are increasingly deployed based on their academic qualifications and areas of specialisation. Adding that the proposed reforms will focus more on empowering graduates to be skilled upon completion of the NYSC scheme.
The minister further revealed that the government is considering deploying prospective corps members to regions where they studied or are already familiar with, particularly in areas facing security challenges. According to him, the approach is intended to ease safety concerns among parents and participants while making deployments more practical.
Addressing reports that the military would be removed from the scheme, Olawande dismissed the claims as a misconception. He clarified that while the NYSC’s operational leadership would transition to civilian control under the reforms, the military would continue to play its role in ensuring the security of corps members.
Recall that the Federal Government approved the proposed NYSC reforms highlighted about seven reforms to incorporate in the new reforms. The development was set to reposition NYSC to support the administration’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
By Musekir Faisat Omolara
