The Federal Government has made public its plan to replace the traditional National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) khaki uniform with locally produced Adire fabric as part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the scheme and supporting Nigeria’s economy.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
According to the minister, the switch to Adire is intended to promote local textile production and ensure government spending benefits Nigerian businesses.
“It’s Adire. Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have them in Ogun, we have them in Kwara, and we have the textile industry. Let’s put our money back into the country,” Olawande said.
He also said that the restructured NYSC programme would ensure corps members are posted based on their fields of study rather than through the current random deployment process.
Accordingly, graduates of education-related courses would be assigned to schools in line with their professional training.
“After leaving camp, you won’t just be posted to a school because NYSC wants you there, but because of the training and process you followed while in camp,” he explained.
Addressing security concerns, Olawande said the government is considering posting corps members to states or regions where they studied or are already familiar with the environment. He noted that the move is expected to ease safety concerns among parents and prospective corps members.
The minister also dismissed reports suggesting that the military would no longer be involved in the NYSC scheme.
“We are not taking the military out of NYSC; that is a misconception. There is no way you can remove the military. What we are doing is moving from military mobilisation to civilian mobilisation,” he said.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has announced that the traditional khaki uniform worn by members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) will be replaced with Adire fabric as part of the Federal Government’s newly approved reforms for the scheme.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Olawande said the move is intended to boost local textile production and ensure government spending supports Nigerian businesses.
According to him, Adire is produced in states such as Ogun and Kwara, and adopting the locally made fabric will help strengthen the country’s textile industry.
The minister also revealed that the reforms will see corps members posted based on their academic qualifications and areas of specialisation rather than through the current random deployment system.
He explained that graduates of education-related courses, for instance, would be assigned to schools that match their professional training after completing orientation camp.
Addressing concerns over insecurity, Olawande said the government is considering posting corps members to states or regions where they studied or are already familiar with the environment. He noted that the proposal is aimed at reducing security concerns among parents and prospective corps members.
The minister also dismissed claims that the military would be removed from the NYSC programme, describing the reports as misleading.
He clarified that while the scheme is shifting from military-style mobilisation to a more civilian-focused approach, the military will continue to play its role in the orientation programme.
