July 2 (THEWILL) — The Federal Government has announced a sweeping reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), replacing the scheme’s iconic khaki uniform with locally produced Adire fabric while introducing skills-based deployment and new security measures aimed at making the programme more impactful.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed the reforms on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, saying the changes are intended to strengthen the NYSC, support local industries, and improve the welfare and safety of corps members.
According to the minister, the decision to replace the khaki uniform with Adire is part of the government’s commitment to promoting indigenous textile production and ensuring that public spending benefits Nigerian manufacturers.
“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,” Olawande said.
He explained that the policy would stimulate Nigeria’s textile sector, create jobs, and encourage greater patronage of locally made products.
Beyond the uniform change, Olawande said the government would introduce a more structured deployment system that matches corps members with places of primary assignment based on their academic qualifications and professional skills.
He explained that graduates would undergo a profiling process during orientation camp, enabling the NYSC to deploy them to sectors where they can contribute more effectively.
“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.
The minister also announced a review of the deployment policy to address security concerns that have increasingly affected corps members across the country.
Under the proposed arrangement, participants will largely be posted to states or regions where they studied or are already familiar with the environment, while those who voluntarily choose to serve in other parts of the country will 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 have interest, instead of redeploying you, paying people for camp, 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,” Olawande stated.
He said the new approach would reduce the number of redeployment requests after orientation camp while ensuring corps members serve in environments where they are more likely to feel safe and productive.
Olawande also dismissed reports suggesting that the military would be removed from the NYSC structure.
He clarified that while the operational leadership of the scheme would remain under civilian control, the armed forces would continue to play their traditional role in providing security and support during orientation camps and other NYSC activities.
The reforms were approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday and represent the first comprehensive review of the NYSC since the scheme was established in 1973 to promote national unity and integration following the Nigerian Civil War.
To give legal backing to the reforms, the FEC has directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development to commence amendments to the NYSC Act.
The government said the reforms are aimed at modernising the scheme, enhancing corps members’ welfare and security, improving service delivery, and ensuring the NYSC remains relevant to Nigeria’s evolving socio-economic and developmental needs.
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