Court Rules NYSC Must Allow Skirts for Female Corps Members on Religious Grounds

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) must permit female corps members to wear skirts as part of their official uniform if it aligns with their religious beliefs.

The court ruled that the agency’s trousers-only policy is unconstitutional.

Justice Hauwa Yilwa, delivering the judgment on June 13, 2025, held that mandating trousers as the only acceptable uniform for women violates their fundamental rights to freedom of religion and human dignity, as guaranteed under Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The ruling followed a consolidated lawsuit filed by two former corps members, Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, who argued that the NYSC’s uniform policy contradicted their Christian faith. They cited Deuteronomy 22:5, which they interpret as prohibiting women from wearing men’s clothing.

The applicants sought and were granted several reliefs, including:

• A declaration that the NYSC’s refusal to recognize skirts breaches their rights to religious freedom and dignity.
• An order compelling the NYSC to allow skirts as an option in the official uniform for female corps members with religious objections.
• A directive for the NYSC to recall the affected applicants and issue them their certificates.
• ₦500,000 in damages each for the harassment and humiliation they suffered.

While the applicants had demanded ₦10 million each in compensation, the court awarded ₦500,000 apiece, describing the sum as adequate.

The suits were marked FHC/ABJ/CS/989/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/988/2020, with the NYSC and its Director-General named as respondents.