The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has assured that corps members who recently completed their service year will not be excluded from the newly approved N77,000 monthly allowance by the Federal Government. This announcement came during the Batch A 2025 Pre-Mobilisation Workshop for heads of corps-producing institutions and key stakeholders held in Abuja on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists at the event, Nafiu confirmed that the government was fully committed to fulfilling its financial obligations to corps members. “The government is quite conscious of its promise and within the budgetary provision, the government is going to handle that,” Nafiu said. The statement comes after the Federal Government began disbursing the new monthly allowance to serving corps members last month, nearly eight months after President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage law.
Nafiu emphasized that the government would ensure all corps members, including those who had already completed their service year, would receive the allowance. “Once funds are released to us to offset the arrears, we will pay them. Even our corps members who passed out recently will benefit. Once we receive cash backing for the arrears, we are going to credit them; we have their bank details,” he explained. He reassured the public that there was no need for concern, highlighting that the government was both “responsible and responsive to their needs.”
The new allowance, which is part of a broader package of financial reforms aimed at improving the welfare of corps members, has been met with optimism among serving youth corps members. However, Nafiu’s reassurance was crucial, as many had been anxiously awaiting clarity on whether those who had completed their service would be included in the disbursements.
In addition to the discussions about financial support, the Director of Corps Mobilisation, Mohammed Abubakar, raised concerns regarding the integrity of the mobilisation process. He cited instances where some tertiary institutions had uploaded the names of unqualified individuals for National Service. “We have made remarkable progress in recent years, greatly reducing challenges, thanks to innovative approaches and better collaboration. However, we still face serious issues, particularly concerning the fraudulent uploading of unqualified graduates, which we must address,” Abubakar stated.
The director emphasized the need for vigilance in the mobilisation process, calling it essential for the country’s development. “As we prepare for another batch of NYSC mobilisation, we must confront the pressing issues affecting our corps members. This process is vital for our nation’s growth, but it is fraught with challenges, especially the ongoing problem of dishonest enrollments. We must therefore stay alert and be proactive,” Abubakar added.
Addressing the workshop, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, also emphasized the need for reform within the NYSC scheme, which he said should align with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Olawande referenced the creation of the scheme in 1973, stressing that the country’s needs and society had changed significantly since then. “I remember when the scheme was created in 1973. It was for a purpose. Everything since then has changed. We must therefore reform the scheme to meet our changing society,” he said.
The minister noted that the NYSC program must evolve alongside the nation’s growth. “As Nigeria improves, we must continue to improve the scheme to meet demands. We must address the gaps in how the scheme will prepare our graduates for the job market,” Olawande said. This comment underscored the growing concerns that the NYSC scheme, while well-intentioned, may not adequately prepare graduates for the realities of the modern workforce.
Olawande’s call for reform also focused on the need for collaborative efforts in reshaping the programme. “Reforming the NYSC mobilisation is not the job of the government alone. It is a collaborative effort. We can build an NYSC that is adaptive, inclusive and will serve our future generations,” he added. The minister’s remarks pointed to the necessity of engaging various stakeholders, including educational institutions, policymakers, and the private sector, in the process of reform.
The workshop, which included representatives from various educational institutions and key stakeholders, highlighted the NYSC’s role in national development. It also underscored the need for ongoing improvements in the management of the programme to ensure it meets the needs of both corps members and the broader Nigerian society.
Peace OdekunleApril 6, 20253 Mins read
