Court Orders NYSC to Allow Skirts for Female Corps Members, Awards N500,000 Each in Compensation to Two Corps Members

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the National Youth Service Corps’ (NYSC) refusal to allow female corps members wear skirts as unconstitutional and a vi%lation of their fundamental rights.

Delivering judgment on June 13, 2025, Justice Hauwa Yilwa ruled that mandating trousers as the only acceptable uniform for female participants in the scheme infr+nges on their rights to freedom of religion and human dignity as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

The ruling came in response to consolidated suits filed by two former corps members, Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, who argued that the NYSC’s uniform policy vi%lated their Christian beliefs, citing Deuteronomy 22:5, which they interpret as forbidding women from wearing clothing associated with men.

The applicants, relying on Sections 38 and 42 of the Constitution and provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, sought a declaration that the NYSC’s policy breached their religious freedom and amounted to discr+minatory treatment.

They also requested an order compelling the NYSC to permit skirts for female corps members who object to wearing trousers on religious grounds, as well as N10 million in dam@ges each.

Justice Yilwa granted all the reliefs sought, including:

 A declaration that denying the use of skirts for religious reasons is unconstitutional

 An order directing the NYSC to allow skirts for female corps members with genuine religious objections

 A directive to recall the affected former corps members and issue them their certificates

The court found that the applicants were subjected to harassment and humiliation by NYSC officials, which constituted a vi%lation of their rights to human dignity and protection from degr@ding treatment.

While the court did not award the full N10 million sought by the applicants, it ordered the NYSC to pay N500,000 each as compensation.