The federal government has confirmed that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) will replace its traditional khaki uniform with locally produced Adire fabric, marking one of the most significant reforms in the scheme’s 53-year history.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced the change during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, stating that the move is designed to promote domestic manufacturing and ensure that government expenditure stimulates the Nigerian economy.
“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,” Olawande said.
Beyond the uniform change, the minister outlined additional reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday, including a shift towards posting corps members based on their academic specialisations. Graduates with education qualifications will now be assigned to schools, moving away from the current practice of indiscriminate postings without regard to professional backgrounds.
On security concerns, Olawande revealed that prospective corps members may be deployed to regions where they studied and are already familiar with the terrain, particularly in areas affected by insecurity. This approach, he said, would alleviate parental anxiety and reduce the need for costly redeployment requests.
“If we have a particular area that is having insecurity, instead of forcing people… let us look at it and say who are those in that area, that can reside in those geographical areas and still give us the kind of number we are looking for,” he explained.
The minister also dismissed media reports suggesting the military would be withdrawn from the NYSC, describing the claim as a misconception. While the scheme’s operational leadership will now be headed by a civilian, the military will retain its role in corps members’ security.
“We are not taking the military out of NYSC,” he clarified. “Military is not taken away, there is no how you can take the military away. It is just saying that we are moving away from military mobilisation to civilian mobilisation.”
The comprehensive overhaul, approved by the FEC, includes a directive for the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations to facilitate implementation. The reforms are intended to reposition the NYSC as a skills-oriented, productivity-driven institution aligned with the government’s broader ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.