By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The Federal Government has announced plans to replace the National Youth Service Corps’ traditional khaki uniform with locally produced Adire fabric as part of a comprehensive reform initiative aimed at repositioning the scheme.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, revealed this during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, stating that the move is designed to promote local manufacturing and ensure government spending supports the Nigerian economy.
“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,” Olawande said.
The minister also outlined several other key reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday, marking the first major overhaul of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.
Under the new framework, corps members will increasingly be posted according to their fields of study, with graduates holding education qualifications deployed to schools rather than being assigned without consideration for their professional backgrounds.
“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,” Olawande explained.
Addressing security concerns, the minister revealed that the government is considering posting prospective corps members to regions where they studied and are already familiar with the environment, particularly in areas facing security challenges.
The arrangement would alleviate concerns among parents and prospective corps members while making the deployment process more practical, according to the minister.
“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,” he stated.
The minister dismissed reports suggesting the military would be completely removed from the NYSC, describing such claims as a misconception.
Under the approved reforms, the Federal Executive Council has directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations to accommodate the changes.
The new framework provides that the scheme’s operational leadership will be headed by a civilian, while the military will continue to provide security support for corps members nationwide.
