There is massive jubilation as the Federal Government paid the newly increased N77,000 monthly allowance to members of Natioanal Youth Service Corps (NYSC) nationwide.
This comes days after NYSC director general, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu announced that corps members across Nigeria will receive a the new N77,000 allowance starting from March 2025.
Many of the corps members on Wednesday, March 26, took to social media to share screenshots of their payments.
Usman Lilussy on Facebook posted; “Alhamdulillah 🙏 77k don land. Thank you baba DG”
Another corps member Idris Yahuza posted saying; “This is the month of joy to all Coprs Members 77k don enter.”
Adeleke Timothy corrobating the development wrote; “The distance you keep while I was collecting 33k. Pls keep the same distance now FG thanks for the 77k🙏🤣🤣”
The increase of the NYSC monthly allowance to N77,000 has its roots in the Nigerian government’s efforts to adjust the national minimum wage.
The Federal Government enacted the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, which raised the national minimum wage to N70,000. This legislative change necessitated a corresponding adjustment in the allowances of corps members, aligning their stipends with the new wage structure.
Following the wage amendment, the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission issued a letter on September 2024, approving the increment of corps members’ monthly allowances from N33,000 to N77,000. This approval was in direct response to the new minimum wage policy.
To accommodate this increase, the Federal Government allocated N430.7 billion to the NYSC in the 2025 budget, with N72.9 billion earmarked specifically for corps members’ allowances. This allocation aimed to ensure the financial feasibility of the enhanced stipends.
Despite the approval and budgetary provisions, the disbursement of the increased allowance faced delays and recieved 33k till February 2025.
Meanwhile, the FG has earlier assured members of the NYSC that the backlog of their newly approved N77,000 monthly allowance will be paid, despite months of delay.
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling its promise to Corps members.
Olawande spoke on a national television programme monitored in Lagos.
“The backlog, we will work on it and make sure it is paid. It may not be immediate, but it will happen. You saw the new DG saying that you will get it, and they’re asking him a question ‘What are those that are going out now, are they going to receive it (backlog)?’ He said we have your details,” Olawande declared
