The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has begun disbursing arrears to corps members following the recent approval of a N77,000 monthly allowance. The payments, which are being made in batches, apply to both serving and recently discharged corps members.
NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu confirmed the development during the Batch A 2025 Pre-Mobilisation Workshop in Abuja. He stated that the disbursements fulfill the Federal Government’s commitment to align NYSC stipends with the new national minimum wage, a promise made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in September 2024.
The arrears cover the period from July 2024—when the new allowance tied to the N70,000 minimum wage (plus 10%) was approved—through March 2025, when actual implementation began. Until then, corps members continued receiving the previous N33,000 monthly stipend, prompting frustration and widespread calls for action.
“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.”
Brig. Gen. Nafiu reassured all affected corps members that the government is committed to settling the outstanding payments, including those due to recent graduates. “We have their bank details, and within the budgetary provision, the arrears will be handled,” he said.
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande, speaking on Channels Television, attributed the delay to budgetary and administrative procedures but confirmed that the payments are underway.
The move has been widely welcomed by corps members, many of whom had expressed disappointment over the prolonged delay. Isma’il Isah, a 2024 Batch A Stream 2 corps member, described the previous situation as disheartening: “We were promised N77,000 but kept receiving N33,000. Now that the arrears are coming, it shows the government values us.”
The NYSC’s action marks a significant step toward restoring trust and boosting morale among Nigerian youth serving under the scheme.
