The Federal Government has announced that the traditional khaki uniform worn by members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) will be replaced with locally produced Adire fabric as part of a wide-ranging reform of the scheme.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the decision is aimed at promoting local textile production and ensuring that government spending supports Nigerian industries and manufacturers.
According to him, Adire fabric is already produced in several parts of the country, including Ogun and Kwara States, and the policy is designed to strengthen domestic value chains.
“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,” the minister said.
Olawande also disclosed that the restructuring of the NYSC would include a new deployment system that aligns corps members with their areas of academic and professional specialisation.
Under the proposed framework, graduates with education-related qualifications, for instance, would be posted to schools based on their training rather than being randomly assigned.
He said the new system is designed to improve efficiency and ensure that corps members contribute more meaningfully to their places of primary assignment.
On security concerns, the minister explained that the government is considering a deployment model that takes into account where corps members studied or are familiar with, in order to reduce risks and ease concerns from parents and participants.
He said such an approach would allow better placement planning while ensuring that staffing needs in different regions are still met.
Olawande also dismissed reports suggesting that the military would be removed from the NYSC structure, describing them as a misunderstanding of the reforms.
He clarified that while operational leadership of the scheme would be civilian-led, the military would continue to play a key role in providing security support for corps members nationwide.
According to him, the reforms are aimed at transitioning from military-style mobilisation to a more civilian-driven system while maintaining security collaboration.
The overhaul followed approval by the Federal Executive Council for the first major reform of the NYSC since its establishment over five decades ago.
Officials said the changes are intended to reposition the scheme into a more skills-based and productivity-oriented programme that supports youth empowerment and national development goals, including Nigeria’s long-term economic growth agenda.
