The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has demanded an investigation into the leadership of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) due to the delayed payment of the newly approved N77,000 monthly allowance for corps members. NANS voiced its frustration over the NYSC’s failure to implement the increased allowance, which was approved by the federal government months ago.

The allowance hike, raising the monthly stipend from N33,000 to N77,000, was officially approved in July 2024. This decision was formalized in a letter from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, dated September 25, 2024, and signed by Chairman Mr. Ekpo Nta, aligning with the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024. The government stipulated that the increase would take effect from July 2024. Additionally, on January 30, 2025, NYSC Director-General Brigadier-General Yushau Ahmed announced that corps members would begin receiving the N77,000 allowance starting February 2025.

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Despite this, corps members reported receiving only N33,000 in February, expressing their disappointment and highlighting the inadequacy of the amount amid Nigeria’s rising cost of living. In response, NANS National Vice President for Inter-Campus Affairs, Akinbodunse Sileola Felicia, issued a statement on Monday defending the call for a probe into the NYSC’s failure to honor the promised timeline.

Felicia questioned the delay, especially after Brigadier-General Ahmed’s public assurance of the February rollout. “My office’s investigations revealed that corps members were paid just N33,000 last Friday for their February allowance, far below the N77,000 promised by the NYSC Director-General,” she said. She pointed out that both federal and many state governments have already begun paying their workers the new N70,000 minimum wage, underscoring the NYSC’s lack of excuse for the delay.

“There is no valid reason for the NYSC to withhold the approved allowance,” NANS argued. “It is a gross injustice for corps members to still be receiving the old rate months after the federal government’s approval and implementation.” The student body urged the NYSC to explain the setback and pressed the federal government to investigate the root cause of the delay.

Felicia warned that the failure to disburse the new allowance could demoralize corps members, particularly given the country’s challenging economic climate. She emphasized that NANS would engage directly with NYSC leadership to address why corps members have not yet benefited from the N77,000 allowance, especially when NYSC staff are reportedly receiving their own pay increases from the federal government.