The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is gearing up to spend an estimated N307.6bn on allowances for corps members over the course of the year, following a significant increase in the payment rate from N33,000 to N77,000. This revision came into effect after the new minimum wage law was signed in May 2024 and was announced by the NYSC in September 2024.
Every year, the NYSC mobilizes between 1,200 and 1,500 corps members across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. These members are organized into three batches—A, B, and C—for orientation camps, averaging about 55,500 corps members per batch. This adds up to roughly 333,000 corps members annually. With the updated allowance of N77,000 per person, each batch now commands approximately N25.64bn, bringing the total annual expenditure to the projected N307.6bn.
In its 2025 budget proposal presented by President Bola Tinubu in December 2024, the Federal Government allocated N430.7bn to the NYSC, marking the highest funding level in five years. A significant portion of this—N372.9bn, or 86.5%—is earmarked for the payment of corps members’ allowances.
Despite the clear budgetary provisions, the implementation of the new allowance rate has been delayed. The NYSC has not yet disbursed the N77,000 payments, citing the need for sufficient cash backing. Acting Director of Press and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, confirmed that the funds are still pending, while the newly appointed Director-General, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, assured in a recent WhatsApp message that payments are slated to commence in March.
In the broader context, industry observers note that delays in such payments could impact morale among corps members, who have been awaiting these funds since the announcement in September. As the government works to resolve these funding challenges, the eyes of many remain on the NYSC’s rollout of the new allowance system.
