Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have expressed frustration over the Federal Government’s continued failure to implement the promised increase in their monthly allowance, which was approved to rise from N33,000 to N77,000.
In July 2024, the Federal Government approved the increase in the monthly allowance for corps members, with the new rate set to take effect in February 2025. However, despite this official announcement, a report by The Telegraph revealed that the NYSC has yet to begin the payment of the N77,000.
In a statement earlier in the year, NYSC Director-General Brig. Gen. Yushau Ahmed attributed the delay to the non-release of funds. He assured corps members that the new allowance would be paid starting in February 2025. However, as of now, corps members have continued to receive only the original N33,000.
A corps member serving in Abia State, speaking on condition of anonymity, accused the Federal Government of insincerity regarding the promised allowance increase. She lamented that the current N33,000 is insufficient to meet basic living expenses.
“The N33,000 is not enough for us,” she said. “The PPA (Place of Primary Assignment) where we are posted doesn’t provide accommodation, so we have to handle that ourselves. The country’s economic situation is well-known, and feeding in an unfamiliar place is another challenge. It’s nearly impossible to survive on N33,000 a month. Some PPAs pay as little as N4,000. So, when you add that to the allowance, you’re barely making ends meet on N37,000.”
She went on to describe the financial struggles further: “Things are so expensive. I haven’t even factored in transportation costs. In the fellowship house where I’m staying, we contribute to food, and after that, there’s almost nothing left. And that’s without even considering other bills. The money is just too little, and the government keeps making promises without fulfilling them. This is really bad.”
Another corps member, serving in Osun, also voiced her dissatisfaction with the delay in the new allowance payment. “The Federal Government needs to do something about this. N33,000 is simply not enough. After calculating my expenses, I see I spend over N70,000 a month. My transportation alone costs over N12,000 monthly, not including the days I go for CDS (Community Development Service). I had to ask my mother for support because this allowance is just too little to survive on. It’s impossible unless you’re ready to suffer.”
A third corps member, serving in Lagos, echoed similar frustrations. “How are we supposed to survive on N33,000 when there’s so much hardship? They keep promising us the N77,000 allowance, but we’ve yet to see anything,” she said.
A senior NYSC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the payment of the N77,000 allowance has not yet begun.
“We have not started disbursing the new allowance yet,” the official stated.
