Minimum wage: FG begins payment of N77,000 NYSC allowance

The Federal Government has finally begun paying the revised N77,000 monthly allowance to members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) after months of delays. Several corps members confirmed on Wednesday that they received credit alerts reflecting the increased stipend, bringing an end to the prolonged wait that had caused frustration and protests.
This development follows a statement made by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who assured Nigerians during a television interview that the payments would be made by the end of March.
However, while the new stipend has been disbursed, the arrears owed to corps members have not been settled. A source from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed that the outstanding arrears were not included with the new allowance. The official explained that the government is still working on resolving the issue and assured that the backlogs would be cleared soon.
The increase in the corps members’ allowance was first announced in September 2023, raising the monthly stipend from N33,000 to N77,000 in line with the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024. Despite the approval, implementation was delayed due to financial constraints and administrative processes.
In defense of the slow response, Olawande explained that while President Bola Tinubu had approved the raise months ago, the necessary budgetary allocations were not available at that 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 assured last week that corps members would start receiving payments this month.
Although the disbursement of the N77,000 allowance represents a significant step forward, corps members are still waiting for the resolution of the pending arrears. They hope the government will fulfill its commitments and avoid any further delays.