Minister Clarifies Adire Not Yet Approved for NYSC After Backlash

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, was clarifying on Thursday that the Federal Government had not yet approved Adire as the new uniform for National Youth Service Corps members. This came just hours after his earlier comments were sparking widespread reactions across the country.

Olawande was taking to his official X handle to set the record straight, saying reports that Adire was replacing the iconic khaki uniform were misrepresenting what he had said during his appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

He was explaining that while he did mention Adire and Ankara during the interview, he was only using them as examples of proposals that were being considered as part of the ongoing reforms. He was stressing that no final decision had been made on either the fabric or the design.

"I was simply citing examples from our consultations. I was not announcing that any particular fabric had been adopted," he was stating.

According to the minister, the government was looking at options that were balancing professionalism, national identity, durability, cost, and national pride. He was adding that any final choice would be guided by wide stakeholder consultations and what was best for the NYSC and the country.

He was also urging Nigerians not to let the uniform debate overshadow the broader goals of the reforms, which were aimed at improving employability, boosting entrepreneurship, strengthening national unity, and helping youths move smoothly from school into productive careers.

"While the uniform conversations are understandable, they should not distract from the larger reforms that are empowering Nigerian youths and repositioning the NYSC for national development," he was saying.

It was earlier reported that the Federal Government was planning to replace the khaki uniform with locally made Adire as part of a major overhaul of the 53-year-old scheme. Speaking on Channels TV, Olawande had initially said, "It's Adire," noting that the move was promoting local textiles and keeping spending within Nigeria.

The proposed change was part of a comprehensive NYSC reform package that the Federal Executive Council had approved on Monday, which also included skills-based deployment, civilian leadership for the scheme, and amendments to the NYSC Act.

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