The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) must permit female corps members to wear skirts as part of their official uniform, declaring that the restriction to trousers alone violates the constitutional rights to freedom of religion and human dignity.
Delivering judgment on June 13, 2025, Justice Hauwa Yilwa held that the NYSC’s trouser-only dress policy for female participants was “unconstitutional, oppressive, and discriminatory.” A certified true copy of the judgment was made available on Sunday.
The ruling followed two separate suits filed by former corps members, Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, who argued that being compelled to wear trousers during their service year contravened their Christian faith. They cited Deuteronomy 22:5, a Bible verse that they interpret as prohibiting women from wearing male attire.
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Justice Yilwa agreed with their claims, stating that the NYSC’s refusal to accommodate their religious convictions amounted to a breach of their rights to freely practice their religion as guaranteed under Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution.
She further noted that the policy subjected the applicants to harassment and degrading treatment throughout their service.
The court granted all relief sought by the applicants, including a declaration that NYSC’s uniform policy was unconstitutional. In addition, Justice Yilwa awarded N500,000 in damages to each of the former corps members for the violation of their fundamental rights.
In a significant directive, the court ordered the NYSC to recall both Ogunjobi and Ayuba and issue them their NYSC discharge certificates, which had been withheld due to their refusal to comply with the trouser-only rule.