The Federal Government has announced plans to replace the traditional khaki uniform worn by members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with locally produced Adire fabric as part of sweeping reforms aimed at repositioning the scheme and boosting indigenous industries.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed the development on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television's The Morning Brief. He explained that the initiative is designed to encourage local production while ensuring that government expenditure supports the nation's economy.
According to the minister, Adire fabrics are produced in several parts of the country, including Ogun and Kwara states, making them a suitable alternative to the current khaki uniforms.
Beyond the proposed uniform change, Olawande said the reformed NYSC scheme would place greater emphasis on deploying corps members based on their academic qualifications and professional skills.
He noted that graduates with education-related degrees, for example, would be posted to schools in line with their training rather than being assigned arbitrarily.
The minister explained that the new deployment framework would begin during the orientation camp, where corps members' profiles and career paths would be properly assessed before postings are made.
On security, Olawande revealed that the Federal Government is also considering posting prospective corps members to regions where they studied or are already familiar with the environment, particularly in areas affected by security challenges.
He said the approach would help ease concerns among parents and corps members while reducing the need for frequent redeployments after orientation camps.
The minister added that corps members who voluntarily wish to serve in other parts of the country, including regions facing security concerns, would still have the opportunity to do so.
Responding to reports that the military would be removed from the NYSC scheme, Olawande dismissed the claims, describing them as misleading. He clarified that while the operational leadership of the scheme would be headed by a civilian under the new reforms, the military would continue to provide security support for corps members across the country.
The reforms followed the recent approval by the Federal Executive Council of a comprehensive overhaul of the NYSC, marking the first major restructuring of the scheme since its establishment in 1973.
As part of the implementation process, the Federal Executive Council has directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to amend the NYSC Act and other relevant regulations to accommodate the changes
Punch