The Federal Government has finally started paying the new N77,000 monthly allowance to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, bringing relief to thousands of corps members across the country.¹ The payment commences after months of delays and assurances from the government.
According to reports, several corps members have started receiving alerts of the new allowance, with one member, Chinedu, expressing joy over the increase, saying, “I just checked my account balance, and I saw N77,000 credited from the Federal Government. This is a huge relief”.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, had assured that the backlog of the new monthly allowance would also be paid, putting to rest concerns among outgoing corps members who had served under the old stipend.
The new allowance is a result of the Nigerian government’s adjustment to the national minimum wage, which was increased to N70,000 under the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.
The NYSC allowance was subsequently increased from N33,000 to N77,000 to align with the new wage structure.
While the payment is a welcome relief for corps members, concerns remain over whether the amount is sufficient given Nigeria’s rising cost of living.
