The Federal Government has announced a major reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), confirming that the scheme’s iconic khaki uniform will be replaced with Adire fabric as part of a broader restructuring programme approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The announcement was made on Thursday, July 2, 2026, by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
According to the minister, the decision is intended to promote indigenous textile production, strengthen local manufacturing, and ensure that government spending directly supports Nigerian businesses.
“It is Adire. Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have them in Ogun, we have them in Kwara; we have textile industries. Let’s put our money back into the country,” Olawande said.
Beyond the uniform change, the minister disclosed that corps members will increasingly be posted according to their academic disciplines and professional qualifications. Under the proposed framework, graduates trained as teachers, for example, will be deployed primarily to schools, while others will be assigned to organisations that match their fields of study.
He also revealed that the government is considering posting corps members to areas where they are more familiar with the environment, particularly in regions facing security challenges, to improve safety and reduce requests for redeployment.
Addressing concerns over reports that the military would be removed from the NYSC, the minister clarified that the reform only transfers the scheme’s operational leadership to civilian administration. He stressed that the military will continue to play its traditional role in orientation camp training and security.
The reforms follow the approval of a comprehensive overhaul of the NYSC by the Federal Executive Council earlier this week—the first major restructuring of the scheme in more than five decades. The Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development have been directed to amend the NYSC Act and relevant regulations before the reforms can be fully implemented. No official date has yet been announced for the rollout of the new Adire uniform.
