The Federal Government has approved a major overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), including plans to replace the scheme’s khaki uniform with Adire fabric as part of efforts to promote local production and strengthen Nigeria’s textile industry.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, confirmed the development on Thursday, July 2, 2026, during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, saying the move is aimed at redirecting public spending towards locally made goods.
He said Adire is already produced in Nigeria, particularly in Ogun and Kwara States, and adopting it for corps members would boost local industry and value chains.
The reform also introduces a new deployment structure that aligns corps members’ postings with their academic backgrounds and areas of specialization.
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Olawande said the change would ensure graduates are placed where their skills are most relevant, replacing the current general posting system. Education graduates, for instance, would be more systematically deployed to schools after orientation.
He added that the government is also reviewing postings to some regions in response to security concerns, with plans to consider corps members’ familiarity with specific areas to reduce risk and improve comfort.
Under the proposal, priority may be given to those with ties to assigned regions, while voluntary redeployment remains an option.
Olawande dismissed claims that the military would be removed from the NYSC, stressing that it will continue to provide security support even as leadership becomes civilian-led.
The reforms follow Federal Executive Council approval for a comprehensive restructuring of the NYSC, the most significant since its creation over five decades ago, aimed at repositioning it into a skills-driven and productivity-focused scheme aligned with national economic goals.