The Federal Government has approved reforms to the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, including plans to replace the scheme’s traditional khaki uniform with locally produced Adire.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television.
According to him, the move is aimed at boosting Nigeria’s textile industry and ensuring government spending supports local manufacturers.
“It’s Adire. Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have them in Ogun, we have them in Kwara. Let’s put our money back into the country,” he said.
Olawande also said corps members would henceforth be deployed based on their academic qualifications and professional competencies rather than being posted arbitrarily.
He explained that the new system would ensure graduates are assigned to places where their skills are most relevant.
On security, the minister said the government is considering deploying corps members to areas they are familiar with, especially states facing security challenges, while those willing to serve outside their regions would still be allowed to do so.
“If you have interest that you want to go to the North-East, why not? But if you don’t, we should look at those who know the area and can still give us the number we need,” he said.
Olawande also dismissed reports that the military would be removed from NYSC operations, describing the claims as a misconception.
“We are not taking the military out of NYSC. Military is not taken away. We are only moving away from military mobilisation to civilian mobilisation,” he said.
The reforms were recently approved by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, with the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development directed to amend the NYSC Act to facilitate their implementation.
Under the new arrangement, the scheme will be headed operationally by a civilian administrator, while the military will continue to provide security support.
