The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has clarified that the Federal Government has not approved the replacement of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniform with Adire or Ankara fabrics, following widespread reactions to his comments during a television interview.
The minister, in a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Thursday, said reports suggesting that the government had settled for Adire as the new NYSC uniform were inaccurate and stemmed from a misunderstanding of his remarks during an appearance on Channels Television.
According to him, he merely cited Adire and Ankara as examples of proposals that have emerged during ongoing consultations on the comprehensive reform of the NYSC scheme.
“For the avoidance of doubt, yes, I mentioned Adire during the discussion. I also mentioned Ankara. My intention was simply to cite examples of some of the proposals that have been put forward in the course of our consultations. It was not an announcement that any particular fabric has been adopted or approved to replace the current NYSC uniform,” the minister stated.
Olawande explained that no final decision had been taken on the design or fabric of the corps members’ uniform, stressing that the government was evaluating various options based on professionalism, durability, functionality, cost-effectiveness, national identity and the promotion of national pride.
He assured Nigerians that any eventual decision would be reached only after extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders and would be guided by what best serves the interests of the NYSC and the country.
The minister also urged the public not to allow the debate over the proposed uniform to overshadow the broader objectives of the ongoing NYSC reforms.
According to him, the reform agenda is aimed at repositioning the Scheme to better reflect present-day realities by improving the employability of corps members, promoting entrepreneurship, strengthening national integration, enhancing service delivery and ensuring a smoother transition from education to productive careers.
He noted that while public interest in the proposed uniform was understandable, greater attention should be paid to the far-reaching reforms designed to empower millions of young Nigerians and strengthen the NYSC as a platform for national development.
Olawande thanked Nigerians for their constructive feedback and reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that every proposal under the reform process is carefully considered in the best interest of the nation.
