The Federal Government has unveiled plans to replace the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) iconic khaki uniform with Adire, a locally produced fabric, as part of a comprehensive reform package aimed at modernising the 53-year-old national service scheme.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed the proposal during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, saying the initiative is designed to boost Nigeria’s textile industry by prioritising locally made products in government procurement.
“It’s Adire. Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have them in Ogun, we have them in Kwara, we have textile industries. Let’s put our money back into the country,” the minister said.
Olawande explained that the proposed uniform change forms part of broader reforms intended to make the NYSC more impactful and economically beneficial.
The minister also announced plans to introduce a more professional deployment system that aligns corps members’ postings with their academic qualifications and career backgrounds.
Under the proposed arrangement, graduates in specialised fields such as education would be deployed to institutions and organisations where their skills can be effectively utilised, rather than being posted randomly.
“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. That is going to give a framework of where you are going to be posted to,” he said.
As part of efforts to enhance the safety of corps members, Olawande said the government is considering deploying participants to regions where they studied or are more familiar with the local environment, particularly in areas facing security challenges.
He noted that the measure would ease concerns expressed by parents and prospective corps members while making the deployment process more efficient.
“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 those who are in that area, who 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,” he said.
The minister also dismissed reports suggesting that the reforms would remove the military from the NYSC structure, describing such claims as a misunderstanding of the government’s plans.
The reforms follow Monday’s approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of a sweeping overhaul of the NYSC, marking what is expected to be the most significant restructuring of the scheme since its establishment in 1973.
As part of the approval, the FEC directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, to amend the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to provide legal backing for the reforms.
Under the proposed framework, the day-to-day administration of the NYSC will be headed by a civilian, while the military will continue to perform its traditional role of providing security support for corps members across the country.
