The Federal Government has commenced the long-awaited payment of the revised N77,000 monthly allowance for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), months after the increase was first announced.
Several corps members confirmed receiving alerts reflecting the updated stipend on Wednesday, bringing an end to prolonged delays that had sparked frustration and protests among youth corps members.
The disbursement follows an assurance by Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who stated earlier this week that payments would be made before the end of March.
However, arrears owed to corps members remain unpaid, with a source from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) confirming that the backlog was not included in the recent payments. The official assured that efforts were ongoing to resolve the issue and clear the outstanding funds soon.
The allowance increase, raising corps members’ stipends from N33,000 to N77,000, was initially announced in September 2023 as part of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024. However, its implementation was delayed due to financial constraints and administrative bottlenecks.
Speaking on the delay, Minister Olawande explained that while President Bola Tinubu had approved the increase months ago, the necessary budgetary provisions 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.
With the budgetary process now completed, the government has begun payments, though corps members still await full settlement of outstanding arrears.
The Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, had previously reassured corps members that payments would begin before the end of March.
While the disbursement of the new allowance is a welcome development, corps members remain hopeful that the government will follow through on its promise to clear all outstanding payments without further delays.
