In a surprising turn of events, the Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, has paid National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members their old monthly allowance of ₦33,000 for September, despite the recent approval of an increase to ₦77,000.
This unexpected move has left many corps members disheartened. Several serving corps members expressed their disappointment over the phone. They had been anticipating the implementation of the new allowance structure, which the Federal Government officially approved in July 2024 as part of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.
The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, had previously acknowledged the government’s decision to increase the monthly allowance to ₦77,000, expressing gratitude and noting that it would provide much-needed financial relief and raise the morale of corps members.
However, the failure to reflect this increase in the September payments has caused widespread concern. As of this report, not all corps members had received their payments, but those who did were credited with only ₦33,000, the previous allowance. A corps member disclosed, “They haven’t paid me yet, but those around me received ₦33,000 instead of the promised ₦77,000.”
The Nigerian government recently approved the significant raise for corps members, as confirmed in a press release by the agency’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu. The statement emphasized that the new allowance would be effective from July 2024, in compliance with the revised National Minimum Wage Act.
The failure to implement the new allowance has sparked outrage on social media, with users taking to platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to voice their frustrations. One user, Chef Papichulo, expressed his dismay, saying, “So they paid corps members ₦33,000 again this month! Well, you deserve the Nigeria you’re living in while watching BBN and debating Wizkid vs Davido.”
Another user, Kindwest, criticized the government, saying, “APC is full of lies. So, NYSC still paid ₦33,000? Let’s keep watching Big Brother while pretending everything is fine.”
Efforts to reach the NYSC’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations for clarification have been unsuccessful.
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