Lagos, Nigeria – Naija National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) fit spend as much as N307.6 billion for mobilising and paying allowance to corps members in 2025, according to PUNCH reports. Dis huge amount na based on the increase wey dem announce for corps members’ allowance, wey don jump from N33,000 to N77,000 since September 2024.
The increase follow the signing of the minimum wage bill wey the Federal Government pass into law for May 2024. On average, NYSC dey mobilise between 1,200 to 1,500 corps members for the orientation exercise for camps wey dey across all 36 states plus Federal Capital Territory. Mobilisation dey happen three times every year—Batch A, Batch B, and Batch C.
This means say about 55,500 corps members dey mobilised per batch, leading to total of 333,000 corps members wey dem dey mobilise every year. With each corps member now receiving N77,000, the total payment for one batch na N25.64 billion.
By the end of the year, this go carry the total amount allocated for corps members’ allowances to N307.6 billion. For the 2025 budget proposal wey President Bola Tinubu present to National Assembly for December 2024, Federal Government allocate N430.7 billion to NYSC, the highest allocation wey dem don see in past five years. Out of this amount, N372.9 billion—about 86.5 percent—no be small part go for the allowance of corps members.
But despite the allocation, Federal Government never start to pay the new N77,000 allowance since dem announce am five months ago on September 25, 2024. After dem fail to implement payment in February, the acting Director of Press and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, clear am say NYSC dey wait for the necessary cash backing.
“The cash backing dey still awaited,” Embu talk for response wey she give our correspondent. In a WhatsApp message wey our correspondent see on Wednesday, the new Director-General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, don assure say payment go start for March.
Efforts to reach the NYSC spokesperson for more clarification about dis issue no yield any results, as dem calls and messages wey we send no get response.
