No Timeline for Payment of Increased N77,000 Allowance to Corps Members, Says NYSC

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced it is unable to specify when the newly approved monthly allowance of N77,000 for corps members will be implemented. This update comes despite a prior announcement made in September by the agency’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, which confirmed the increase from the previous N33,000 allowance.

The increment was scheduled to take effect from July 2024, in line with the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024. However, recent reports indicate that corps members only received the old allowance of N33,000 for September, leading to confusion and disappointment among the youth service participants.

One corps member expressed frustration, stating, “They have not paid, but the people around me who were paid got N33,000 instead of the N77,000 promised.”

In a conversation with SaharaReporters, Caroline Embu explained that the delay in implementing the new allowance is due to governmental processes. “Everything is a process. After making the pronouncement, the government has to work on it to be able to pay. It is not as if it is automatic,” she clarified.

Embu also noted that the payment of the new allowance is contingent upon the Federal Government’s approval, similar to the ongoing delay in the implementation of the minimum wage. She emphasized, “I can’t say if it is going to be implemented this month (October). We don't know when it is going to be implemented, just like everybody is waiting for the minimum wage.”