The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has warned the Federal Government against introducing a new National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniform that fails to reflect religious inclusiveness, particularly for Muslim female corps members.
The group said it would strongly oppose any uniform design that does not accommodate the religious needs of Muslim women, especially the use of hijab.
MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the position known in a statement released on Friday, following ongoing discussions around the Federal Government’s planned reforms of the NYSC scheme.
The Federal Government had earlier announced plans to restructure the NYSC as part of broader reforms aimed at improving the scheme’s operations and relevance. Part of the proposed changes includes the introduction of a redesigned uniform for corps members.
Reacting to the development, Akintola said while MURIC welcomes aspects of the proposed reforms, the issue of uniform redesign must be handled with caution to avoid creating fresh controversies.
He stressed that Muslim groups, especially female Islamic organisations, should be involved in the design process to ensure fairness and inclusiveness.
According to him, the interests of Muslim corps members must be protected from the planning stage to the final implementation.
Akintola said the new uniform must go beyond aesthetics and functionality, adding that it should also reflect Nigeria’s religious and cultural diversity.
He said, “The Federal Government has announced its intention to reform the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC). The reform will also necessitate designing a new uniform while the role of the military in the service will be drastically reduced.”
He further stated, “Although we welcome some aspects of the proposed reform, we call for caution on the issue of redesigning the NYSC uniform. In particular, we demand the involvement of at least one notable female Islamic society in the country in the design in order to cater for the interest of Muslims in the new uniform.”
MURIC argued that early engagement with Muslim stakeholders would prevent avoidable tensions and eliminate possible ethical disputes after the final design is unveiled.
The organisation also revisited long-standing concerns over uniform policies in Nigeria, claiming that many official dress codes historically failed to consider Muslim sensitivities, especially concerning female dressing.
Akintola said this imbalance had led to repeated disputes over dress codes in schools and public institutions, with Muslim communities pushing for accommodations that align with Islamic values.
He noted that similar concerns were raised in the past over the NYSC uniform, which many Muslims considered overly western in design.
According to him, those concerns eventually led to adjustments that allowed a moderate hijab option for Muslim female corps members.
However, MURIC said recent indications surrounding the proposed new NYSC uniform suggest those gains may be under threat.
The group expressed concern that the planned redesign may not include provisions for hijab, warning that such an omission would amount to exclusion.
Akintola said, “MURIC therefore advises stakeholders to carry the Muslims along because only this will be a true reflection of the diverse cultures that make up the country.”*
He added, “Nigerian Muslims will reject the imposition of any Christian-oriented uniform for the new reformed NYSC. Neither shall we allow our daughters to be indecently exposed in the name of a new NYSC uniform.”
MURIC urged the government to ensure broad consultation before approving any final design.
The group maintained that inclusiveness, respect for religious identity, and decency should remain central to the reform process.
It also warned against sidelining Muslim voices in decisions that directly affect their children and communities.
Akintola said the era of making such decisions without adequate consultation should be left behind.
He concluded that meaningful engagement remains the only way to avoid unnecessary backlash.