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 refusing to let them wear skirts during their service year for religious reasons.
Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa, who delivered the judgement, said NYSC’s insistence on trousers as the only acceptable uniform for female corps members breached their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and human dignity.
“The action of the respondents resulted in the applicants being embarrassed and humiliated. This is an outright infringement of their fundamental rights,” Justice Yilwa declared in a judgement delivered on 13 and 14 June 2025.
The court ordered NYSC to allow female corps members with genuine religious objections to wear skirts. It also directed the agency to recall the affected ex-corps members and issue them their NYSC certificates.
The ruling followed two separate suits filed by Miss Ogunjobi John Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian. Both argued that being forced to wear trousers went against their Christian beliefs. They referenced Deuteronomy 22:5, which they interpret as forbidding women from wearing clothing typically associated with men.
Justice Yilwa consolidated the cases because of their legal similarity and ruled in favour of the applicants, granting all their prayers. The court also condemned what it described as harassment and degrading treatment by NYSC officials.
Each applicant was awarded ₦500,000 in damages. Though they initially demanded ₦10 million, the judge said the ₦500,000 award was fair under the circumstances.
“The refusal to accommodate their religious clothing choice amounted to discrimination and a denial of their right to complete the national service programme,” the court held.
The NYSC and its Director-General were listed as respondents in the suits, which were brought under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009, relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
