The Federal Government has clarified that it has not approved Adire as the new uniform for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), following widespread reactions to comments made by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande.

In a statement posted on his official X account on Thursday, Olawande said reports claiming that the NYSC’s traditional khaki uniform had been replaced with Adire misrepresented his remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

The minister explained that he mentioned Adire and Ankara only as examples of proposals currently under consideration as part of the ongoing reform of the NYSC, stressing that no final decision has been made.

“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,” he said.

Olawande noted that the government is evaluating options that meet key requirements, including professionalism, durability, functionality, affordability, national identity and pride. He added that any final decision would be based on extensive stakeholder consultations and the overall interest of the scheme.

He also urged Nigerians not to allow discussions about the proposed uniform to overshadow the broader reforms planned for the NYSC.

According to the minister, the reforms are aimed at improving youth employability, promoting entrepreneurship, strengthening national integration, enhancing service delivery and ensuring a smoother transition from education to productive careers.

Earlier reports had suggested that the Federal Government planned to replace the NYSC khaki uniform with locally produced Adire as part of reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council. The wider reform package also includes skills-based deployment of corps members, civilian operational leadership for the scheme and proposed amendments to the NYSC Act.