By Sunday Ameh
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has dismissed reports claiming that the Federal Government has approved Adire as the new uniform for members of the National Youth Service Corps.
Olawande clarified that the government had yet to take any decision on changing the NYSC uniform, describing media reports suggesting that Adire had been adopted as inaccurate.
The minister made the clarification in a Facebook post on Thursday following reports that emerged after his appearance on Channels Television.
According to him, his reference to Adire during the television interview was only intended to illustrate some of the proposals being considered as part of ongoing consultations on reforms 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,” he said.
Olawande explained that the Federal Government was still reviewing various proposals and had not reached a final decision on the design or fabric of a new uniform.
He said any eventual decision would be guided by considerations such as professionalism, national identity, durability, functionality, cost-effectiveness and the promotion of national pride.
The minister added that extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders would precede any decision on the matter.
He also urged Nigerians not to allow discussions surrounding the proposed uniform to distract attention from the broader objectives of the ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the NYSC scheme.
The clarification followed widespread reports suggesting that the Federal Government had replaced the current NYSC uniform with Adire, a development that generated mixed reactions across social media.
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