Court backs female corps members’ right to wear skirts on religious grounds

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) violated the constitutional rights of two former female corps members by insisting they wear trousers during their service year, despite their religious objections.

In the judgment delivered on June 13, 2025, Justice Hauwa Yilwa held that the NYSC’s refusal to allow female corps members to wear skirts infringed on their rights to freedom of religion and human dignity as enshrined in Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The plaintiffs, Miss Ogunjobi Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, both devout Christians, had argued that being compelled to wear trousers contravened their faith, citing Deuteronomy 22:5 of the Bible.

The two separate suits (FHC/ABJ/CS/989/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/988/2020) were later consolidated due to the similarity of their claims.

They asked the court to declare the NYSC’s policy unconstitutional and discriminatory, demanding the recognition of skirts as a permissible part of the NYSC uniform for female corps members whose religious beliefs prohibit the wearing of trousers.

The court agreed, declaring the NYSC’s policy a violation of their constitutional rights.