By Ebiere Kekeboro
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced a significant increase in the monthly allowance for corps members across Nigeria. Starting from March 2025, corps members will receive a new monthly allowance of Seventy-Seven Thousand Naira (N77,000).
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, made this announcement, reassuring corps members that both the NYSC management and the Federal Government remain committed to their welfare. He emphasized that ensuring the well-being of corps members remains a top priority.
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“With effect from March, you are going to receive the sum of Seventy-Seven Thousand Naira as your monthly allowance. NYSC is good at record keeping and I can assure you that your money will be paid. The Nation and the Scheme appreciate you,” General Nafiu said.
The increase in allowance 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. Despite the approval and budgetary provisions, the disbursement of the increased allowance faced delays. As of February 2025, corps members continued to receive the previous stipend of N33,000.
General Nafiu urged corps members to remain calm, disciplined, and focused on their national assignments. He acknowledged the vision of the NYSC’s founding fathers and called on Nigerians to support and uphold the objectives of the scheme. According to him, NYSC plays a crucial role in fostering national unity by exposing young graduates to different cultures and traditions across the country.
Corps members have praised the Director-General for his dedication to ensuring the prompt implementation of the increased allowance. Speaking on behalf of her colleagues at the Garki Zone, Corps Member Zaka Deborah Alheri (FC/24A/5831) expressed appreciation for the NYSC leadership’s commitment to the welfare of corps members.