After several months of delay, the federal government has committed to paying the backlog of the new N77,000 monthly stipend to National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members.
Remember that in September 2024, the federal government raised the stipend for corps members from N33,000 to N77,000.
The new allowance system has not yet been put into place, despite several assurances and opposition.
Serving corps members and those enrolled in the program at the time of the September 2024 announcement of the increase, however, will be compensated retroactively.
In an interview with Channels Television’s “Politics Today,” Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande provided this guarantee.
“You saw the new DG saying that you will get it, and they’re asking him a question ‘What about those that are going out now, are they going to receive it [backlog]?’ He said ‘We have your details’.
“The backlog, we will work on it and make sure it is paid. It may not be immediate but it will happen,” Olawande assured.
To the delight of the youth program participants, the Federal Government announced a new allowance for NYSC members (corpers), in September 2024.
The increase complied with the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, according to the Federal Government.
However, despite repeated promises from government officials, the new stipend has not yet been implemented six months after it was announced.
However, Olawande said on the broadcast that Olakunle Nafiu, the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, advised corps members to anticipate the new allowance’s implementation in March.
“It will happen,” the minister said when asked if the corps members would start getting now-delayed allowance from this month.
According to the minister, the delay in the implementation of the new NYSC members’ allowance is due to budgetary issues.
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“I’ve explained this several times. Some people said, I always say ‘It is a process. It is a process.’ But it’s seriously a process. It’s a government line.
“You cannot do a corner piece to do it. It was not in the budget when the president announced it, and for some agencies and parastatals, you need your salary to be in the budget before it is paid.
“Before anybody can approve anything, you must have a budgetary allocation for it. But the budgetary allocation has been done now. We are done with the process and it has been approved. It has been signed, and now they can start paying it,” the minister said.
