The Federal Government has announced plans to replace the traditional NYSC khaki uniform with locally produced Adire fabric as part of a broader reform of the National Youth Service Corps aimed at supporting local manufacturing and improving the scheme’s overall effectiveness.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed the development during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday.
According to him, the decision aligns with the government’s commitment to promoting Nigerian-made products while ensuring public funds are invested in the country’s economy.
Speaking on the proposed change, Olawande said the government intends to source the new uniforms from local textile producers across Nigeria.
“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,” he said.
The planned replacement of the NYSC khaki is one of several reforms recently approved by the Federal Executive Council as part of efforts to reposition the nearly five-decade-old youth service programme.
Corps Members to Be Posted Based on Their Qualifications
Beyond the uniform change, the minister revealed that corps members will increasingly be deployed according to their academic backgrounds and professional training.
He explained that graduates who studied education, for example, would be assigned to schools after completing the orientation camp process instead of being posted without considering their qualifications.
“After you are leaving the camp, you are not just posted to a school just because NYSC wants you to be in school but because of the process you followed when in camp. So, that is going to give a framework of where you are going to be posted to,” Olawande stated.
The government believes the new deployment system will make the scheme more productive by placing corps members in sectors where they can contribute their skills effectively.
Security, Local Posting and Leadership Changes
Addressing security concerns, the minister said the government is considering deploying prospective corps members to regions where they studied or are already familiar with the environment, particularly in areas experiencing security challenges.
According to him, the approach would reduce requests for redeployment while providing a more practical and efficient deployment process.
“If you have interest that you want to go to the North-East why not, but if you don’t have interest, instead of redeploying you, paying people for camp, doing all those funny things, we said no, 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 since we are saying NYSC should be more impactful. So, that is what we are talking about,” he said.
Olawande also dismissed reports claiming that the military would be removed from the NYSC structure, describing such reports as inaccurate.
He clarified that while the Federal Executive Council has approved reforms allowing a civilian to head the operational leadership of the scheme, the military will continue to provide security support for corps members across the country.
The reform package was approved by the Federal Executive Council earlier this week, marking the first major overhaul of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.
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As part of the implementation process, the council directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and relevant regulations to accommodate the approved changes.
If implemented, the reforms will introduce a new look for corps members through the replacement of the NYSC khaki, strengthen local textile production, improve deployment based on qualifications, and reshape the administration of the youth service scheme while maintaining security support nationwide.
