The Federal Government has announced a major change to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), confirming that the scheme’s traditional khaki uniform will be replaced with Adire fabric as part of ongoing reforms.

Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, made this known on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

According to the minister, the decision is part of broader efforts by the government to strengthen local production and ensure public spending directly supports Nigeria’s economy.

Speaking on the development, Olawande stressed that the new uniform would be produced locally, noting that Adire is already widely manufactured in different parts of the country.

“It’s Adire. So, Adire is being produced in Nigeria. We have them in Ogun, we have them in Kwara, we have textile industry. Let’s put our money back into the country.”

He said the move is designed to boost indigenous industries, especially Nigeria’s textile sector, while promoting local craftsmanship through government-backed demand.

Beyond the uniform change, the minister disclosed that the Federal Government is also restructuring the NYSC posting system to ensure corps members are deployed based on their professional backgrounds and areas of study.

Under the proposed arrangement, graduates with education-related qualifications are expected to be posted to schools and other relevant institutions, rather than being assigned arbitrarily.

“That after you are leaving the camp, you are not just posted to a school just because NYSC wants you to be in school but because of the process you followed when in camp. So, that is going to give a framework of where you are going to be posted to,” he said.

Olawande also addressed concerns over insecurity in some parts of the country, revealing that the government is considering a more strategic deployment system for corps members.

According to him, prospective corps members may increasingly be posted to regions where they studied or areas they are already familiar with, especially in locations facing security challenges.

He explained that such an approach would reduce anxiety among parents and corps members while making the deployment process more efficient.

“If we have a particular area that is having insecurity, instead of probably forcing people or parents to start talking, we must also give them an opportunity that ‘okay, who are those in that area, that schooled in that area, that know much about that area?’ Not just somebody, for example, let me say from South-West to North-East.”

“If you have interest that you want to go to the North-East why not, but if you don’t have interest, instead of redeploying you, paying people for camp, doing all those funny things, we said no, let us look at it and say who are those in that area, that can reside in those geographical areas and still give us the kind of number we are looking for since we are saying NYSC should be more impactful. So, that is what we are talking about,” he added.

The minister further dismissed claims suggesting the military would be completely removed from NYSC operations.

He described such reports as misleading, clarifying that while the scheme’s operational leadership will transition to civilian control, the military will continue to play a vital role, particularly in maintaining security during orientation camps and other NYSC activities.

“We are not taking the military out of NYSC, it’s just a misconception and the way we read some of the things that were put out and that is the aspect that we need to start making research before reacting. Military is not taken away, there is no how you can take the military away. It is just saying that we are moving away from military mobilisation to civilian mobilisation.”

The latest changes come days after the Federal Executive Council approved a comprehensive reform of the NYSC scheme, Politics Nigeria earlier reported. This mark the first major overhaul of the programme in over five decades.

As part of the reforms, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Youth Development have been directed to amend the NYSC Act and relevant regulations to enable implementation.

The Federal Government said the reforms are aimed at repositioning the NYSC into a more skills-driven and productivity-focused institution capable of empowering young Nigerians and contributing meaningfully to national economic growth.