NYSC Members Express Discontent Over Unfulfilled Allowance Promise

Editor 12 hours agoLast Updated: March 3, 2025

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By DAYO ADESULU

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members across Nigeria have called out the Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, over his failure to fulfill the promised increase in their monthly allowance. The DG had earlier assured corps members that they would start receiving a new allowance of N77,000, effective February 2025. However, corps members have been left disappointed as they received only N33,000, the same amount they have been earning since 2019.

DG’s Promise: What Was Said?

During an address at the NYSC Members 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream II orientation camp in Katsina State, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed announced that corps members’ monthly allowance had been adjusted to N77,000. He explained that the increase had been factored into the 2025 Federal Government budget and would take effect once the budget was passed.

“This month (January) NYSC Members has already ended, but once the budget is passed, by next month (February), you will start receiving N77,000 instead of the usual N33,000,” the NYSC DG had said.

Despite this announcement, corps members were left disillusioned when they received the same N33,000 in February, prompting nationwide disappointment and outrage.

Corps Members Speak Out: Frustration and Disappointment

Speaking to our correspondent, a corps member currently serving in Lagos State expressed his frustration, accusing the NYSC Members of playing politics with the much-anticipated allowance increment.

“Most government agencies have started implementing the new minimum wage, yet we, the corps members, are still stuck with N33,000. We ought to be among the first beneficiaries of this increase. It’s painful because we see money-sharing events taking place in the National Assembly, but we are left with an allowance that cannot even cover transportation for two weeks,” he lamented.

A further survey among NYSC Members across different states revealed that none of them had received the promised N77,000 allowance.

The Reality of NYSC Allowance and Rising Cost of Living

The current NYSC allowance of N33,000 was introduced in 2019 following the Federal Government’s approval of a N30,000 minimum wage. However, with rising inflation and increased cost of living, corps members argue that the current allowance is no longer sufficient to meet their basic needs.

Many have voiced concerns over their financial struggles, particularly with the high cost of transportation, accommodation, and feeding in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

“In a country where transportation costs have doubled, and food prices are skyrocketing daily, how does the government expect us to survive on N33,000?” another corps member in Abuja questioned.

The NYSC’s Silence: No Official Statement Yet

As of the time of this report, the NYSC has not released an official statement addressing the non-payment of the N77,000 allowance. This lack of communication has further fueled concerns that the increment may have been a mere political statement rather than a genuine policy implementation.

Corps members have taken to social media platforms such as Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram to demand answers from the NYSC leadership, using hashtags like #NYSCAllowanceNow, #PayNYSC77K, and #NYSCMinimumWage.

What Happens Next? Awaiting Government Response

With mounting pressure from corps members and public discourse on the issue, all eyes are now on the Federal Government and NYSC leadership to respond to the growing agitation.

It remains uncertain whether the promised N77,000 allowance will be implemented in subsequent months or if corps members will have to continue managing the N33,000 they currently receive.

For now, corps members across Nigeria are left with unanswered questions, hoping that their demands will be met in the coming months.

#NYSC, #MinimumWage, #CorpsMembers, #NigeriaNews,

Dayo Adesulu, online editor, SEO expert.