The federal government has confirmed that one of the reforms approved for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is that Adire fabric will replace its iconic khaki uniform for the 53-year-old scheme.
Speaking on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the move is aimed at promoting local production and ensuring government spending supports the Nigerian economy.
It would be recalled that on Monday the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a comprehensive reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) since it was established in 1973.
Responding to a question on whether the new uniform would be produced locally, the minister said, “It’s Adire. So, 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 also disclosed that, under the ongoing restructuring of the NYSC, corps members will increasingly be posted according to their fields of study and professional qualifications.
He explained that graduates with education-related qualifications, for instance, would be deployed to schools instead of the current system, where postings are not always based on specialization.
“That 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. So, that is going to give a framework of where you are going to be posted to,” he said.
Addressing security concerns surrounding corps member deployment, the minister said the government is considering posting graduates to regions where they studied and are familiar with the environment, especially in areas facing security challenges.
According to him, the approach would reduce anxiety among parents and prospective corps members while making the deployment process more effective.
“If we have a particular area that is having insecurity, instead of probably forcing people or parents to start talking, we must also give them an opportunity to say, ‘Okay, who are those in that area, those schooled in that area, those who know much about that area?’ Not just somebody, for example, let me say, from southwest to northeast.
“If you have interest and you want to go to the Northeast, why not? But if you don’t have interest, instead of redeploying you, paying people for camp, or 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? So, that is what we are talking about,” he said.
Olawande also dismissed reports that the military would be removed from the NYSC, describing such claims as a misunderstanding.
He clarified that although the scheme’s operational leadership would be headed by a civilian, the military would continue to play a vital role, particularly in providing security for corps members.
“We are not taking the military out of NYSC; it’s just a misconception and the way we read some of the things that were put out, and that is the aspect that we need to start doing research on before reacting. The military is not taken away; there is no way you can take the military away. It is just saying that we are moving away from military mobilisation to civilian mobilisation,” the minister said.
The reforms follow the approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday of a comprehensive overhaul of the NYSC, the first major reform of the scheme since it was established 53 years ago.
As part of the decision, the FEC directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and its regulations to accommodate the approved reforms and facilitate their implementation.
Under the new framework, the NYSC will be headed by a civilian in its operational leadership, while the military will continue to provide security support nationwide.
The federal government said the reforms are aimed at repositioning the NYSC as a skills-oriented, productivity-driven, and youth-empowerment institution that aligns with its vision of building a $1 trillion economy.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
