The announcement of a new N77,000 monthly allowance for corps members was met with excitement and relief, especially given Nigeria’s rising cost of living. The increase, following the approval of a new minimum wage bill, was expected to ease financial struggles for young graduates undergoing the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program.
However, months have passed since the declaration, and corps members are still stuck with the old N33,000 stipend. The initial enthusiasm has faded, replaced by confusion, frustration, and endless questions: Where is the money? Why the delay?
On paper, everything looks promising. The NYSC’s budget for 2025 is the highest it has received in the last five years—N430.7 billion. Out of this, a massive N372.9 billion (about 86.5% of the entire allocation) is set aside for corps members’ stipends.
Every year, NYSC mobilizes three batches—A, B, and C, with an estimated 333,000 corps members spread across the country. With each person expected to receive N77,000, the program is projected to spend N307.6 billion annually on allowances alone. Simple math shows that for each batch of about 55,500 corps members, NYSC needs to pay N25.64 billion in stipends.
So, if the budget is approved and the figures add up, why haven’t corps members received the money yet?
When asked why the new allowance has not yet been implemented, Caroline Embu, NYSC’s Acting Director of Press and Public Relations, blames the delay on the lack of cash backing. In government terms, this means that while the money has been allocated on paper, the actual disbursement process is still in limbo.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, assures corps members that payments will begin in March 2025. But with the number of times this promise has been repeated, corps members are beginning to wonder—will March bring relief or just another round of excuses?
This delay is not just an administrative issue; it is affecting real lives. With the cost of living skyrocketing, surviving on the old N33,000 allowance is becoming a near-impossible task. From accommodation to transportation and feeding, corps members are barely scraping by, and many rely on side hustles or family support to stay afloat.
This is not the first time the NYSC scheme has struggled with delays. In my previous article, I questioned whether the system was truly ready for the wage increase, considering the long history of bureaucratic bottlenecks. Now, the situation speaks for itself.
The big question remains—will NYSC finally fulfill its promise in March, or will corps members be left disappointed again? With every passing day, the frustration grows. For many, this is no longer just about money; it is about trust. If the funds are already in the budget, why does it take so long to release them?
For now, corps members can only wait and hope that this isn’t yet another classic case of government bureaucracy at its finest. But if history is anything to go by, hope might not be enough.
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