NYSC DG,
The Federal Government has assured that it will clear the backlog of the newly approved ₦77,000 monthly allowance for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, following months of delays.
The allowance increase, first announced in September 2024, has yet to be implemented despite multiple assurances.
However, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, confirmed on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today that payments, including backdated amounts, would be made to both serving corps members and those who were in the program when the increment was introduced.
“You saw the new DG saying that you will get it, and they’re asking him a question ‘What about those that are going out now, are they going to receive it backlog?’
“We have your details,” the minister stated.
“The backlog, we will work on it and make sure it is paid. It may not be immediate but it will happen.”
Olawande’s remarks follow reassurances from the NYSC Director General, Olakunle Nafiu, who recently told corps members that the new allowance would take effect in March 2025.
The Federal Government had raised the NYSC allowance from ₦33,000 to ₦77,000 in September 2024, citing the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 as the basis for the adjustment.
Although the announcement initially sparked excitement among corps members, the prolonged delay has led to growing frustration.
Explaining the reasons behind the delay, Olawande attributed it to budgetary constraints, stating, “I’ve explained this several times. Some people said, I always say ‘It is a process. It is a process.’ But it’s seriously a process. It’s a government line. You cannot do a corner piece to do it. It was not in the budget when the president announced it, and for some agencies and parastatals, you need your salary to be in the budget before it is paid.
“Before anybody can approve anything, you must have a budgetary allocation for it. But the budgetary allocation has been done now. We are done with the process and it has been approved. It has been signed, and now they can start paying it.”
