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Abuja Federal High Court rules NYSC violated Christian female corps members’ rights
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NYSC ordered to accept skirt uniforms and issue certificates to affected ex-corps members
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Judge condemns NYSC’s actions as unconstitutional, degrading
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ruled that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) violated the constitutional rights of two Christian female corps members by denying them the option to wear skirts, despite their religious convictions.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Hauwa Yilwa on June 13, 2025—but only recently made public—declared that NYSC’s insistence on trousers as the only uniform option for women constitutes a breach of the right to freedom of religion as guaranteed under Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
The plaintiffs, Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, had filed separate suits in 2020, which were later consolidated by the court. In their submissions, they cited Deuteronomy 22:5, which they interpreted to prohibit women from wearing men’s clothing.
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They contended that being forced to wear trousers contradicted their Christian beliefs and sought the court’s affirmation of their right to wear skirts as part of the NYSC uniform.
Justice Yilwa ruled entirely in their favour, affirming their right to manifest religious beliefs through clothing and ordering NYSC to accommodate such in its uniform policy.
She also directed the scheme to recall the affected corps members and issue them their certificates of national service.
“The NYSC’s refusal to allow skirt uniforms for religious purposes is unconstitutional.
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“The harassment and humiliation experienced by the applicants from NYSC officials amounts to degrading treatment and a violation of their human dignity,”the judge ruled
While each applicant demanded ₦10 million in damages, the court awarded ₦500,000 to each as compensation for the violation of their rights.
This ruling is set to become a landmark precedent in Nigeria’s legal landscape concerning religious expression and institutional dress codes within national programmes like the NYSC.
