FG Begins Payment of Revised N77,000 NYSC Allowance

After months of delays and growing frustration, the Federal Government has begun the disbursement of the revised N77,000 monthly allowance for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Several corps members confirmed receiving credit alerts reflecting the increased stipend on Wednesday, marking the end of the prolonged wait that had sparked protests and unrest among the youth volunteers.

This development follows recent assurances from the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, who, in a television interview, pledged that the payments would be made by the end of March 2025. The timely disbursement is a relief to many, who had grown impatient with the lengthy delay.

While the N77,000 monthly stipend has now been paid, concerns over outstanding arrears remain unresolved. A source within the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) revealed that the government had not settled the backlogs of arrears, which had accumulated over the months of delay.

“The arrears have not been included in the current disbursement. We are still working on the details, and the backlogs will be cleared soon,” the source confirmed.

The revised stipend was initially announced in September 2023, with the new allowance intended to increase the monthly payment from N33,000 to N77,000, in line with the provisions of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024. However, the increase was not immediately implemented due to financial constraints and administrative delays, frustrating corps members across the country.

Minister Ayodele Olawande addressed the slow implementation, explaining that although President Bola Tinubu had approved the raise several months ago, the required budgetary allocations had not been in place at the time.

“It was not in the budget when the President announced it. Some agencies and parastatals need to have their salaries included in the budget before anything can be done or paid out,” Olawande said.

The Minister went on to clarify that the necessary budgetary adjustments had now been made, which enabled the government to proceed with the payments. “Anybody can approve anything, but you must have a budgetary allocation for it. Now, they are done with the process. It has been approved and signed. Now, they can start taking it,” he added.

In the wake of this announcement, the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, also assured corps members last week that the payment of the revised allowance would begin in March, as promised. Nafiu’s confirmation provided further reassurance to the corps members, many of whom had voiced their dissatisfaction with the delays.