The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the National Youth Service Corps’ (NYSC) refusal to allow female corps members to wear skirts in observance of their religious beliefs is unconstitutional and violates their fundamental rights.
In a landmark judgment delivered on June 13, 2025, Justice Hauwa Yilwa declared that the NYSC’s insistence on trousers as the only approved uniform for female corps members infringes upon the constitutionally protected rights to freedom of religion and human dignity.
The verdict followed the consolidation of two separate suits filed by former corps members—Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian—who challenged the NYSC’s uniform policy on religious grounds.
Both applicants argued that wearing trousers conflicted with their Christian faith, citing Deuteronomy 22:5, which they interpret as a biblical instruction prohibiting women from dressing like men.
The cases, filed under suit numbers FHC/ABJ/CS/989/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/988/2020, named the NYSC and its Director-General as respondents. The applicants sought several reliefs, including declarations that NYSC’s actions breached their rights under Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Justice Yilwa, in her ruling, upheld all the reliefs sought by the applicants. The court declared NYSC’s enforcement of trousers-only uniforms as a violation of religious freedom and ordered the agency to recognise and permit the use of skirts for female corps members with genuine religious objections.
The court also directed the NYSC to recall both applicants and issue them their certificates of national service, which had previously been withheld due to their refusal to wear trousers.
Furthermore, the court held that the harassment and humiliation suffered by the women at the hands of NYSC officials amounted to degrading treatment.
Though both plaintiffs requested ₦10 million in damages, Justice Yilwa awarded ₦500,000 each, describing it as adequate compensation for the violation of their rights.
“This is a blatant infringement of their fundamental rights,” the judge stated, emphasising that denying the women the opportunity to complete their national service due to their religious dress preferences amounted to religious discrimination.
The ruling is expected to have wide-reaching implications for future NYSC policies, particularly concerning the accommodation of religious beliefs in the enforcement of dress codes.
