The federal high court in Abuja has declared the National Youth Service Corps’ (NYSC) refusal to permit female corps members to wear skirts in accordance with their religious beliefs as unconstitutional.
In a landmark judgment delivered on June 13, 2025, Hauwa Yilwa, judge of the federal high court, held that compelling female participants in the scheme to wear trousers — contrary to their sincerely held religious convictions — amounted to a breach of their rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and relevant human rights instruments.
The case was brought by two former corps members, Ogunjobi Blessing and Ayuba Vivian, who argued that the NYSC’s uniform policy infringed upon their Christian faith, which, “according to Deuteronomy 22:5, prohibits women from donning attire traditionally associated with men”.
The suits, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/989/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/988/2020, were initially filed separately against the NYSC and its director-general but were later consolidated due to their shared subject matter.
Relying on sections 38 and 42 of the constitution, as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the applicants urged the court to pronounce the NYSC’s policy as unconstitutional and discriminatory.
They also sought compensation and asked to be issued certificates of national service, having been denied the opportunity to complete the programme due to their refusal to wear trousers.
In her considered ruling, Yilwa found in their favour, declaring that the NYSC’s uniform policy, when applied in such rigid terms, not only undermined religious freedom but also subjected the claimants to degrading treatment.
“A declaration that the refusal to allow skirts for religious purposes is unconstitutional,” she ruled.
“An order mandating the NYSC to recognise and permit the use of skirts for female corps members with genuine religious objections.
“A directive compelling the NYSC to recall the affected former corps members and issue their certificates accordingly.”
She ordered the NYSC to recognise and permit the wearing of skirts for female corps members who raise genuine religious objections, and directed the agency to recall the two affected women and award them their NYSC certificates accordingly.
While the applicants had each sought N10 million in damages, the court awarded them N500,000 apiece, citing the need to acknowledge the harm suffered without overreaching in monetary redress.
The judgment has already drawn wide public interest, reigniting long-standing debates around the intersection of state policy, religious liberty, and gendered dress codes.
The court’s decision also sets a new precedent for the treatment of faith-based objections within government-administered programmes.
