A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that female members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who object to wearing trousers on religious grounds must be allowed to wear skirts.
Justice Hauwa Yilwa, in a judgment delivered on June 13, 2025, but sighted on Sunday, July 27, declared the NYSC’s refusal to permit skirts unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental rights.
The ruling came after two former corps members, Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, challenged the NYSC in court, claiming that being forced to wear trousers conflicted with their Christian beliefs.
Both women cited Deuteronomy 22:5, which they interpreted as prohibiting women from wearing male clothing.
In the consolidated suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/989/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/988/2020, the applicants argued that the NYSC’s dress code infringed on their rights to freedom of religion, human dignity, and protection from degrading treatment.
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Justice Yilwa agreed, stating that the NYSC’s uniform policy not only violated Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom, but also subjected the women to harassment and humiliation.
“The actions of the respondents resulted in the applicants being embarrassed and humiliated. This is a blatant infringement of their fundamental rights,” the judge ruled.
She ordered the NYSC to recognise and permit the use of skirts for any female corps member with genuine religious objections. The court also directed that the affected women be recalled and issued their NYSC certificates.
The applicants had each demanded ₦10 million in damages. The court instead awarded ₦500,000 to each woman, citing it as adequate compensation.
Justice Yilwa’s ruling affirms that religious belief cannot be suppressed under state policy and mandates the NYSC to accommodate faith-based dress preferences.