A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to allow female corps members to wear skirts during service if they have religious reasons for not wearing trousers.
According to the Guardian, the ruling came after two former corps members, Miss Ogunjobi John Blessing and Miss Ayuba Vivian, sued the NYSC for denying them the right to complete their service year in skirts.
Naijaonpoint reports that the court found that NYSC’s insistence on a trousers-only uniform violated the applicants’ constitutional rights to freedom of religion and personal dignity.
Both women had refused to wear trousers due to their Christian faith and were denied certificates after the programme.
Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa, who handled the case, ruled that the NYSC must recognise and permit skirts for female corps members with genuine religious beliefs.
The court also ordered the NYSC to recall the affected women and issue them their service certificates.
Each applicant was awarded ₦500,000 in damages for the emotional distress and embarrassment they suffered.
Although they had demanded ₦10 million each, the judge ruled that ₦500,000 was sufficient in this situation.
The court described the NYSC’s action as discriminatory and a violation of the applicants’ rights to practice their religion without being harassed or punished for it.