 |
| Image: Google |
The Federal Government has confirmed plans to phase out the iconic khaki uniform worn by members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), replacing it with locally produced Adire fabric as part of a sweeping reform package aimed at repositioning the 53-year-old scheme.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday.
According to the minister, the adoption of Adire aligns with the government’s commitment to strengthening local industries, promoting indigenous products and ensuring that public funds are spent within Nigeria rather than on imported materials.
He explained that the new uniforms would be produced using fabrics sourced from local textile manufacturers across the country.
“It’s 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,” he said.
The proposed change follows the approval by the Federal Executive Council earlier this week of what officials have described as the most extensive reform of the NYSC since it was established in 1973.
Beyond the planned uniform change, the government also intends to redesign the corps deployment process by ensuring that graduates are posted to assignments that align more closely with their academic qualifications and career interests.
Olawande explained that prospective corps members would receive specialised preparation during the orientation programme before being assigned to places of primary assignment.
For instance, graduates who studied education would undergo training tailored to classroom teaching before being posted to schools.
“After leaving camp, you are not just posted to a school because NYSC wants you there but because of the process you followed in camp. That will determine where you are posted,” the minister said.
He added that the reforms are designed to make the scheme more relevant by enabling corps members to contribute meaningfully in sectors related to their professional training rather than being assigned to unrelated roles.
Security also forms a major part of the reform agenda.
The minister disclosed that the government is reviewing the deployment system to allow more participants to serve in states where they studied or locations they are already familiar with, particularly in regions experiencing security concerns.
According to him, the new approach is expected to reduce the growing number of redeployment requests while addressing concerns expressed by parents and intending corps members.
“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 explained.
Olawande also dismissed speculation that the military would no longer be involved in the NYSC scheme, insisting that members of the armed forces would continue to play an important role in ensuring the safety of corps members throughout their service year.
“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,” he said.
As part of the approved reforms, the orientation camp programme will be extended from the current duration to six weeks. The additional time will be dedicated to entrepreneurship development, vocational skills acquisition, civic education, leadership training and programmes designed to improve the employability of young graduates.
On Wednesday, Bola Tinubu said the comprehensive reforms are intended to equip Nigerian graduates with practical skills, encourage self-reliance and make the NYSC more impactful in contributing to national growth and development.
#Nysc
#Adire
#FG
No comments:
Post a Comment