UPDATE: Court Orders NYSC to Accept Skirts for Religious Corps Members

In a landmark judgment, the Federal High Court has ordered the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to allow female corps members with genuine religious objections to wear skirts instead of trousers during service.

The court, presided over by Justice Yilwa, ruled that the NYSC’s insistence on trousers violated the applicants’ constitutional rights under Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. The judge held that the applicants were subjected to harassment, embarrassment, and degrading treatment by NYSC officials due to their refusal to wear trousers, despite citing religious reasons.

The applicants, who had initially demanded ₦10 million in damages, were each awarded ₦500,000. The court considered it adequate compensation for the infringement on their rights.

Justice Yilwa granted all the reliefs sought by the applicants, including:

• A declaration that the refusal to allow skirts for religious purposes is unconstitutional.
• An order mandating NYSC to recognise and permit the use of skirts by female corps members with valid religious objections.
• A directive compelling the NYSC to recall the affected ex-corps members and issue their NYSC discharge certificates.

The judge emphasised that the NYSC’s actions amounted to religious discrimination, and stressed that no citizen should be denied national service for adhering to their faith. The applicants were represented by Baba Shehu Ahmad and K.A. Lawal, while J.E. Okpe appeared for the NYSC.