The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has officially commenced the payment of arrears arising from the recently approved N77,000 monthly allowance to both current and recently discharged corps members.
This confirmation came from the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, who announced that the disbursements are being made in batches, reports Nigerian Tribune.
The move fulfills the federal government’s pledge to align corps members’ stipends with the new national minimum wage—a promise first made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in September 2024.
The payment of arrears follows the initial implementation of the new allowance in March 2025. Before then, corps members had continued receiving the previous N33,000 despite the approval of the new rate, causing months of anticipation and unrest.
“This is a game-changer for us,” said Adebola Yusuf, a corps member serving in Osun State. “After months of waiting, seeing the arrears hit my account feels like a burden lifted. It’s not just about the money—it’s about knowing our efforts are valued.”
Speaking at the Batch A 2025 Pre-Mobilisation Workshop in Abuja, Brig. Gen. Nafiu reassured both current and former corps members of the government’s commitment to settle all outstanding payments.
“The government is conscious of its promise, and within the budgetary provision, it will handle the arrears. Even those who have recently passed out will benefit—we have their bank details,” he affirmed.
The arrears cover the period from July 2024, when the new N77,000 allowance tied to the N70,000 minimum wage (plus 10%) was approved, to March 2025, when actual payments began.
The delay in implementing the new rate had sparked widespread frustration, with many corps members expressing disappointment online and during NYSC ceremonies.
“We were promised N77,000, but kept receiving N33,000. It was disheartening,” said Isma’il Isah, a 2024 Batch A Stream 2 corps member, during a passing-out parade in Kano.
“Now that the arrears are coming, it’s a step toward showing the government cares about our welfare.”
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande, in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, explained that the delay was due to budgetary and administrative processes. However, he stressed that the payments were already in motion.
“It’s a process, but the approvals are in place, and the payments are happening. Both current and outgone corps members will get their dues,” he said.
The NYSC’s move is being widely welcomed as a necessary step toward restoring trust and boosting morale among Nigerian youth serving the nation.
