The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has confirmed that Adire fabric will replace the traditional khaki as part of the Federal Government’s approved reforms for the National Youth Service Corps.
Olawande said the decision was aimed at promoting local production and ensuring that funds spent on the new uniform benefit Nigeria’s textile and creative industries. He explained that Adire is produced locally in states such as Ogun and Kwara, adding that the reform is part of efforts to channel government spending back into the Nigerian economy.
The planned change forms part of a wider overhaul of the NYSC approved by the Federal Executive Council, which also includes a redesigned six week orientation programme, skills based primary assignments, risk sensitive deployment and a civilian led operational structure for the scheme. The minister said the reforms are intended to reposition the NYSC as a more skills driven and productivity focused institution.
Olawande also disclosed that corps members would increasingly be posted based on their areas of specialisation under the new arrangement, while the military would continue to play its role in securing the scheme despite the shift to civilian operational leadership.
