The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has reaffirmed that corps members will begin receiving the new monthly allowance of ₦77,000 starting March 2025.
Nafiu made this assurance during an interactive session with corps members at the Wuse and Garki NYSC Zonal Offices in Abuja. His statement follows months of anticipation after the NYSC announced the increment from ₦33,000 to ₦77,000 in line with the new National Minimum Wage of ₦70,000, which was approved by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024.
The new wage policy, enacted under the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, marked a significant increase from the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage introduced in 2019.
The Explainer learned that following the Act’s passage, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission formally approved the updated NYSC allowance in a letter dated 25th September 2024, signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Mr Ekpo Nta.
Despite this approval, corps members had expressed concerns over delayed implementation.
The Explainer reported that in February 2025, the previous NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, had stated that the new allowance would take effect from February. However, further clarifications from the current DG, Brigadier General Nafiu, have now set March 2025 as the confirmed date.
Brigadier General Nafiu reassured corps members that the NYSC and Federal Government remain committed to their welfare. He urged them to remain dedicated, disciplined, and focused during their service year.
“With effect from March, you are going to receive the sum of Seventy-Seven Thousand Naira as your monthly allowance,” Nafiu stated. “NYSC is good at record-keeping, and I can assure you that your money will be paid. The nation and the Scheme appreciate you.”
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The NYSC leadership has consistently emphasised the Scheme’s role in nation-building, describing it as a vital institution fostering national unity. Nafiu praised the founding fathers of the Scheme for their vision, stating, “NYSC is a beautiful Scheme that is building bridges and exposing graduate youths to learn and understand the cultural values of places outside their places of birth.”
Corps members at the Abuja zonal offices welcomed the assurance, with Zaka Deborah Alheri (FC/24A/5831) speaking on behalf of her colleagues at Garki Zone. She expressed gratitude to the NYSC leadership for their efforts in ensuring timely payment of the increased allowance.
The Explainer gathered that NYSC officials continue to urge corps members to exercise patience and trust in the system as the Scheme works towards implementing the allowance increase smoothly.
The NYSC allowance increase, which more than doubles the previous ₦33,000 stipend, is expected to cushion the effects of inflation and the rising cost of living in Nigeria.
