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The Federal Government has clarified that no final decision has been taken to replace the khaki uniform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with Adire, following widespread public reaction to comments made earlier by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande.
In a statement posted on his official X account on Thursday, Olawande explained that media reports describing Adire as an approved NYSC uniform replacement had misinterpreted his comments during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
According to the minister, his reference to Adire and Ankara was only intended to illustrate some of the ideas currently being considered as part of the ongoing review of the scheme, and stressed that “No final decision has been taken on the materials or design.”
“My intention is simply to cite examples of some of the proposals that have been put forward during our consultations. It is not an announcement that any particular material is being adopted or approved to replace the current NYSC uniform,” he said.
Olawande said the government carefully evaluated various options before arriving at a final choice, and stressed that the new uniform must meet several important considerations.
According to him, the government is considering options that “check all the right criteria in terms of professional outlook, unique national identity, durability, functionality, cost effectiveness and projection of national pride.”
Also read: FG Launches Adire Uniforms for NYSC, Introduces New Posts, Security Reforms
He added that the final decision will emerge from extensive consultations with stakeholders and will prioritize what is in the best interests of the NYSC and the country.
The minister further appealed to Nigerians not to let discussions on the proposed uniforms divert attention from the broader transformational agenda for youth services programmes.
“These reforms are designed to make the Scheme more relevant to today’s realities by improving employability, encouraging entrepreneurship, strengthening national integration, improving service delivery and creating a smoother transition from education to a productive career.
“While the conversation around uniforms is understandable, it should not overshadow the broad reforms aimed at empowering millions of young Nigerians and positioning the NYSC as a stronger platform for national development,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Olawande had indicated in his television interview that the Federal Government intended to replace the NYSC’s traditional khakis with locally produced Adire as part of major reforms approved for the 53-year-old scheme.
During the interview, he said, “This is Adire,” explaining that the proposal aims to encourage local textile production while ensuring government spending supports Nigerian producers.
The proposed uniform review was one of several reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council earlier this week. Other planned changes include the deployment of corps members based on their professional qualifications, placing the scheme under civilian operational leadership, and amending the NYSC Act to accommodate the new framework.
