FG Unveils Sweeping NYSC Reforms, Plans to Replace Khaki Uniform with Made-in-Nigeria Adire

The Federal Government has announced plans to replace the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) iconic khaki uniform with locally produced Adire fabric as part of a broad reform package aimed at modernising the scheme, boosting local industries, and making national service more impactful.

Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed the proposal on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, saying the initiative would channel government spending into Nigeria’s textile industry while promoting indigenous products.

“It is Adire. Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have them in Ogun, we have them in Kwara, we have textile industries. Let’s put our money back into the country,” the minister said.

Beyond the planned uniform change, Olawande revealed that corps members would now be deployed based on their academic qualifications and professional skills to improve productivity and national development.

He explained that graduates with education degrees, for instance, would be posted to schools through a structured deployment process initiated during orientation camp rather than through the existing random posting system.

“After leaving camp, you are not just posted to a school because NYSC wants you there. The process you followed in camp will determine where you are posted, giving a proper framework for deployment,” he said.

The minister also disclosed that the government is reviewing the deployment policy to enhance the safety of corps members by posting many of them to regions where they studied or are already familiar with the environment, particularly in areas facing security challenges.

According to him, the arrangement would reduce concerns among parents and prospective corps members while limiting the need for frequent redeployments.

“If someone is interested in serving in the North-East, that is fine. But where there is no such interest, we are looking at deploying people who already reside within those geographical areas so that the NYSC can achieve greater impact,” he added.

Olawande further dismissed reports suggesting that the military would be removed from the NYSC structure, describing the claims as misleading.

He clarified that while the operational leadership of the scheme would be headed by a civilian under the proposed reforms, the military would continue to provide security support for corps members across the country.

The reforms follow the approval by the Federal Executive Council earlier this week for the first comprehensive overhaul of the NYSC since the scheme was established in 1973.

As part of the implementation process, the Council directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and its operational regulations to accommodate the new reforms. The proposed changes are expected to reposition the scheme by strengthening skills-based deployment, improving security, promoting local content, and enhancing its contribution to national development.