The Federal Government has promised to pay the backlog of the new N77,000 monthly allowance to members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), after several months of delay.
Recall that the Federal Government increased corps members’ allowance from N33,000 to N77,000 in September 2024.
Despite repeated promises and backlash, the new allowance structure is yet to be implemented.
However, serving corps members and those in the scheme when the increment was announced in September 2024 will receive a backdated payment.
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, gave this assurance in an interview, ‘Politics Today’ a programme on Channels Television.
“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.
In September 2024, the Federal Government announced a new allowance for NYSC members better known as corpers much to the excitement of the participants of the youth scheme.
According to the Federal Government, the increment was in line with the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.
Six months after the announcement, however, the implementation of the new allowance is yet to see the light of day despite repeated assurances from government authorities.
However, the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Olakunle Nafiu, last week, asked corps members to expect the implementation of the new allowance in March, a move Olawande corroborated during the show.
“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.
“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.
