For months now, members of Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been eagerly anticipating an increase in their monthly allowance, after the Federal Government announced a raise from ₦33,000 to ₦77,000.
However, despite this promise, many corps members have been left confused and disappointed as they continue to receive the old allowance amount.
Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, the Director General of the NYSC, has addressed the situation, shedding light on why the newly approved allowance has not yet been implemented. The delay, he revealed, is due to funding challenges faced by the government.
The initial announcement of the allowance increase was met with excitement, as corps members across the country had been expecting the new amount to take effect starting from July 2024. This decision came after years of demands for a higher allowance to reflect the rising cost of living in Nigeria, especially for young graduates posted to various states for their one-year mandatory national service.
The official confirmation of the allowance increase came through a letter from the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, which was dated September 25, 2024. The letter was signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, and detailed the government’s decision to raise the allowance to ₦77,000. It was expected that by the end of September, corps members would begin receiving the new allowance.
However, when corps members checked their bank accounts at the end of September, they discovered that they had still been paid the previous amount of ₦33,000. This led to widespread confusion and frustration among the youth service participants, many of whom rely heavily on the allowance to cover their basic needs during their service year.
In response to the growing concerns, Brigadier General Ahmed gave an interview to the BBC Hausa service, where he provided an explanation for the delay. He made it clear that while the government had indeed approved the increase, the funds required to implement the new payment had not yet been released.
He said, “Not only the corps members, even our staff members’ salary has been increased about four to five months ago, but it has not been implemented yet. But we are hopeful that the new pay will be implemented soon, but the funds have not been released to us yet.
“The information we have did not specify when the new allowance will be paid, but we were assured that their monthly allowance has been increased from 29th July 2024.”
