- NYSC will replace its traditional khaki uniform with locally made Adire.
- Corps members will be posted based on their areas of specialisation.
- Government says the military remains part of the NYSC scheme.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has disclosed that the traditional National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) khaki uniform will be replaced with Adire fabric as part of the newly approved reforms aimed at repositioning the scheme.
Olawande made the announcement on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, explaining that the decision is intended to promote local production and boost Nigeria’s textile industry.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to the minister, the adoption of Adire will ensure that government spending supports local manufacturers and contributes to the nation’s economy.
“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,” he said.
The minister also revealed that corps members would now be deployed based on their areas of study and professional specialisation under the restructured NYSC programme.
He explained that graduates of education, for instance, would be posted to schools based on the career path and training they selected during the orientation programme, rather than through the existing random deployment process.
“That 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,” Olawande stated.
Speaking on security concerns, the minister said the Federal Government is considering deploying corps members to states where they studied or are already familiar with the environment.
According to him, the measure is expected to reduce anxiety among parents and prospective corps members while improving their overall safety during the service year.
Olawande also dismissed claims that the military would be removed from the NYSC following the reforms.
“We are not taking the military out of NYSC; it’s just a misconception.
“The military is not taken away; there is no way you can take the military away. It is just saying that we are moving away from military mobilisation to civilian mobilisation,” he added.
