The Federal Government has approved an increase in Corps Members’ monthly allowance to ₦77,000, effective from July 2024.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Caroline Embu, spokesperson for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), confirmed that the raise follows the enactment of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024. Embu referenced a letter from the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, dated September 25, 2024, and signed by the Commission's Chairman, Ekpo Nta.
Before this development, NYSC Director General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, had visited the Chairman of the Commission to advocate for improved welfare for Corps Members. Embu expressed the NYSC leadership's gratitude to the Federal Government for this timely increase, adding that it would provide much-needed relief, boost morale, and motivate Corps Members to contribute more effectively to national service.
The previous allowance for Corps members was ₦33,000. In 2020, the NYSC increased allowances from ₦19,800 to ₦33,000, following the passage of a new minimum wage bill that set the national minimum wage at ₦30,000.
In late July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the revised minimum wage bill into law, raising the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 after months of negotiations between the government, labor unions, and the private sector.