The Federal Government has announced plans to replace the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) traditional khaki uniform with locally made Adire fabric as part of ongoing reforms aimed at modernising the scheme.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television's The Morning Brief on Thursday.
According to the minister, the decision is intended to support local industries and ensure government spending benefits Nigerian manufacturers.
"It's Adire. Adire is produced in Nigeria. We have producers in Ogun and Kwara, and we also have textile industries. We want government funds to circulate within the country," Olawande said.
He also revealed that corps members would now be posted based more closely on their academic qualifications and professional backgrounds.
For instance, graduates with education-related degrees would be deployed to schools, while others would be assigned to sectors that match their areas of study and training.
Olawande explained that the new system would allow corps members to follow career-focused pathways from the orientation camp through to their place of primary assignment.
He added that the government is also reviewing the deployment process in response to security concerns.
Under the proposed arrangement, corps members may be posted to regions where they studied or are already familiar with, particularly in areas facing security challenges.
According to him, this approach would reduce the need for redeployment and ease concerns among parents and prospective corps members.
"If someone wants to serve in the North-East voluntarily, that's fine. But if not, it makes more sense to deploy people who are already familiar with those regions instead of moving people around unnecessarily," he said.
The minister also dismissed reports claiming the military would be removed from the NYSC scheme.
He clarified that while the operational leadership of the NYSC will now be headed by a civilian under the new reforms, the military will continue to provide security and support during orientation camps and throughout the service year.
The reforms were approved by the Federal Executive Council earlier this week as part of the first comprehensive review of the NYSC since it was established in 1973.
To implement the changes, the Federal Executive Council has directed the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to begin the process of amending the NYSC Act and its regulations.
