The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has clarified that the Federal Government has not approved Adire as the new uniform for members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.
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Olawande said his earlier remarks on the proposed NYSC uniform were misunderstood, explaining that Adire and Ankara were merely cited as examples of options being considered under the ongoing reform of the scheme.
The clarification followed media reports suggesting that the minister had announced the replacement of the NYSC’s iconic khaki uniform with Adire during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday.
During the interview, Olawande had responded to questions about whether any new uniform would be produced locally, saying Adire is produced in Nigeria and that government spending should support local industries.
“It’s Adire. So, 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,” he had said.
However, in a statement posted on his official social media account hours after the interview, the minister said the comment was not an announcement that Adire had been adopted or approved as the new NYSC uniform.
“My attention has been drawn to some media reports following my brief appearance earlier this morning on Channels TV regarding the ongoing reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), particularly on the issue of the proposed uniform,” he said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, yes, I mentioned Adire during the discussion. I also mentioned Ankara. My intention was simply to cite examples of some of the proposals that have been put forward in the course of our consultations. It was not an announcement that any particular fabric has been adopted or approved to replace the current NYSC uniform.”
Olawande said the government was still evaluating different options before arriving at a final decision.
He explained that the assessment would consider professional appearance, national identity, durability, functionality, cost-effectiveness and the promotion of local industry.
“For the record, what we are considering are different options that tick all the right boxes in terms of professional outlook, a unique national identity, durability, functionality, cost-effectiveness, and the projection of national pride,” he said.
“No final decision has been taken on the fabric or design.”
The minister urged Nigerians not to allow the debate over the proposed uniform to overshadow the broader objectives of the ongoing NYSC reforms.
According to him, the reforms are aimed at making the scheme more relevant to national development by improving employability, promoting entrepreneurship, strengthening national integration and enhancing service delivery.
He said the Federal Government wants the NYSC to better support the transition of young graduates from education to productive careers.
Olawande had earlier explained that, under the ongoing restructuring of the scheme, corps members would increasingly be posted according to their fields of study and professional qualifications.
He said graduates with education-related qualifications, for instance, would be deployed to schools in a more deliberate manner, rather than through random postings that may not align with their training.
The minister also addressed security concerns around deployment, saying government was considering ways to post corps members to areas where they are familiar with the environment, especially in regions facing security challenges.
He added that contrary to reports suggesting that the military would be removed from NYSC, the military would continue to play an important role, particularly in providing security support for corps members.
Olawande said the reform only seeks to move the scheme towards civilian-led operational mobilisation while retaining necessary military support.
The proposed uniform change is part of wider discussions around the first major overhaul of the NYSC scheme in decades.
The Federal Executive Council had approved reforms aimed at repositioning the scheme as a skills-oriented, productivity-driven and youth-empowerment institution.
As part of the reform process, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development are expected to work on necessary amendments to the NYSC Act and relevant regulations.
For now, the minister maintained that no final fabric or design has been approved for NYSC members, and that Adire remains only one of the proposals under consideration.
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