Popular social media activist, VeryDarkMan, has criticized the Federal Government’s proposed replacement of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) khaki uniform with Adire fabric, describing the move as inappropriate for a national programme.
In a post shared on his Facebook page, the activist, whose real name is Martin Vincent Otse, also referred to the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, as a “moron” over the proposal.
According to VeryDarkMan, Adire is a cultural fabric traditionally associated with the Yoruba people, and adopting it as the official attire for NYSC members would undermine the scheme’s national and multicultural identity.
He argued that Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups, including the Igbo, Hausa, and over 250 other ethnic nationalities, each have their own traditional attire, making it inappropriate to impose one ethnic cultural symbol on all corps members.
The activist further accused the minister of failing to introduce meaningful youth-focused policies since assuming office, alleging that the proposed uniform change is among the few initiatives associated with his tenure.
His remarks followed Wednesday’s announcement by the Minister of Youth Development that the Federal Government is considering replacing the traditional NYSC khaki uniform with Adire as part of ongoing reforms aimed at restructuring the scheme.