The Federal Government has said the planned replacement of the National Youth Service Corps’ traditional khaki uniform with Adire fabric is part of efforts to promote local production, support Nigeria’s textile industry and keep government spending within the local economy.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he spoke on reforms being considered for the NYSC scheme.
Olawande said the proposed uniform change goes beyond clothing and is tied to a broader economic agenda aimed at creating opportunities for young Nigerians and reviving local value chains.
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He said Adire is already being produced in parts of the country, including Ogun and Kwara states, and stressed that the government wants public spending to support Nigerian industries rather than flow outside the country.
The minister also said the government is reviewing the posting process for corps members to make deployment more organised and more responsive to security realities across the country.
According to him, the reform is expected to introduce a clearer framework for postings after orientation camp, with placements no longer done arbitrarily but guided by the process corps members go through while in camp.
He said the review of the deployment system is also intended to address safety concerns in some parts of the country.
Olawande added that the government is considering which aspects of the NYSC reforms can be implemented without amending the law and which ones would require legislative backing.
He said the reform process is already underway but made it clear that there is no immediate timeline for implementation, describing it as a gradual process that would require engagement with the National Assembly and support from the presidency.
The minister said the government was determined to push through the changes despite the challenges involved, noting that reforms of such scale are never easy but must begin at some point.
He said partly, “It’s Adire? Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have in Ogun, we have in Kwara, we have textile Industry. Let us put our money back into the country.”