FG begins payment of N77,000 new monthly allowance to NYSC members

The Federal Government has commenced the payment of the N77,000 new monthly allowance to members of the National Youth Service Corps..

This follows the promise made by the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, that the new monthly allowance will be implemented starting in March 2025.

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, assured that the backlog of the new monthly allowance will also be paid

However, while the new stipend has been disbursed, arrears owed to corps members remain unsettled.

A source in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed that the outstanding arrears were not paid with the new allowance.

The official explained to The Nation that the government was still working on the details and assured that the backlogs would be cleared soon.

The increase in corps members’ allowances was first announced in September 2023, raising the monthly stipend from N33,000 to N77,000 to align with the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024. Despite the approval, implementation stalled due to financial constraints and administrative processes.

Speaking on the matter, Olawande defended the government’s slow response, stating that while President Bola Tinubu had approved the raise months ago, the required budgetary allocations were not in place at the time.

“It was not in the budget when the President announced it. Some agencies and parastatals need to have their salaries included in the budget before anything can be done or paid out,” he said.

The Minister clarified the necessary budgetary adjustments had been completed, allowing the government to proceed with payments.

“Anybody can approve anything, but you must have a budgetary allocation for it. Now, they are done with the process. It has been approved and signed. Now, they can start taking it,” he added.

The Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, also gave assurances last week that corps members would begin receiving payments this month.

While the disbursement of the N77,000 allowance marks a significant milestone, corps members continue to anticipate the resolution of pending arrears, hoping that the government follows through on its promises without further delays.