A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) violated the rights of two former female corps members by denying them the option to wear skirts during their service year, despite their religious beliefs.
Justice Hauwa Yilwa, who delivered the judgment on June 13, 2025, held that NYSC’s insistence on trousers as the only acceptable uniform for female corps members breached their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and protection from degrading treatment. The judgement was obtained by the media over a month after its delivery.
The case was filed by Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian in two separate suits—FHC/ABJ/CS/989/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/988/2020—which were later consolidated by the court due to their shared legal grounds.
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The plaintiffs argued that being compelled to wear trousers contravened their Christian faith, citing Deuteronomy 22:5, which they interpret as a prohibition against women wearing men’s clothing. They asked the court to affirm their right to wear skirts during NYSC service and to compel the scheme to accommodate such religious expressions.
They also alleged harassment and humiliation by NYSC officials for refusing to comply with the uniform directive, which they said infringed upon their rights to dignity and religious freedom.
Justice Yilwa granted all their reliefs, declaring that NYSC’s refusal to permit skirts was unconstitutional. She further ordered the scheme to recognise and allow skirt-wearing for female corps members with genuine religious objections.
The judge also directed the NYSC to recall the affected applicants and issue their discharge certificates.
“The actions of the respondents resulted in the applicants being embarrassed and humiliated. This is a blatant infringement of their fundamental rights,” the judge stated.
While each applicant requested ₦10 million in damages, the court awarded ₦500,000 each, describing the amount as appropriate compensation for the violation of their rights.
The NYSC and its Director-General were listed as respondents in the case.
The ruling is expected to set a significant precedent regarding religious expression within the NYSC programme and could shape future policies on uniform regulations.
