As the end of February approaches, concerned Nigerians are urging the Federal Government to scrap the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) if it fails to fulfill its promise of increasing corps members’ monthly allowance to N77,000.
In January, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, assured 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream II corps members in Katsina State that they would start receiving the increased allowance once the 2025 budget was passed.
“This month (January) has already ended, but once the budget is passed, by next month (February), you will start receiving N77,000 instead of the usual N33,000,” Ahmed stated, attempting to reassure anxious corps members.
However, many Nigerians remain skeptical, as previous promises regarding the allowance have not been kept. The NYSC had earlier announced in September 2024 that President Bola Tinubu approved an increase from N33,000 to N77,000, effective from July 2024. Yet, when corps members received their September payments, they were still paid the old amount.
Corps members and their families have expressed disappointment and frustration over the government’s failure to implement the new allowance. One corps member, identified as Nancy, who is set to complete her service in April, said she would be extremely disappointed if she does not receive the increased payment before her service ends.
“I will be clocking out in April, and I hope I will not be ending my national service without receiving this allowance,” she said. “I also hope the increment will be paid in arrears for seven months, from July last year. If I don’t get all my money, it will put me in a tight spot, and I will be extremely disappointed in the government.”
Nancy added that traveling back to Lagos from her posting in the South-South region would cost her about N30,000 and hoped the Federal Government would “bail us out” in February with the new allowance.
When asked if the NYSC should be scrapped, she replied, “Let them do so. We’ve had enough.”
Many Nigerians argue that the economic situation has worsened since the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023, making it difficult for corps members to survive on N33,000 per month.
Some Nigerians believe that the NYSC program has outlived its usefulness. Professor Phillip Adetiloye of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, is among those calling for its abolition.
Speaking at a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti, he stated, “The National Youth Service program should be scrapped because it has outlived its usefulness. The extremely poor wages and dehumanization of our graduates make a mockery of the scheme.
“Uneducated migrant laborers in Southern Nigeria earn between N125,000 and N200,000 per month, which is much higher than what university graduates receive during national service. National service should not be national suffering.”
Now that the National Assembly has passed the 2025 budget, many Nigerians believe the NYSC leadership has no excuse for failing to pay the increased allowance.
Muyiwa Bello, a current affairs analyst, criticized the government for failing to meet its promises.
“I wonder how corps members, who are forced into this program, survive on only N33,000. The NYSC leadership said the increased allowance would be paid once the budget was passed. Now that it has been approved, they have no excuse,” Bello said.
“If the government comes up with another excuse, then the NYSC should be scrapped immediately. It has been around since the 70s, and all it does is waste money that could be used to help students in other ways.
“As for government officials who keep raising corps members’ hopes without fulfilling their promises, it’s time they lost their jobs. Once someone at the top is held accountable, others will take their responsibilities seriously.”
However, public affairs commentator Benedict Njoku urged Nigerians to consider the benefits of the NYSC program before calling for its cancellation.
“The NYSC, despite its flaws, contributes to national unity. The government’s failure to pay the new allowance should not be the reason to scrap the program,” Njoku said.
“Let’s wait and see what Tinubu’s government does to improve the scheme. If they fail, then we can reconsider scrapping it.”
He recalled that in 2007, the NYSC program was nearly canceled due to a lack of funds, but late President Umaru Yar’Adua revived it.
With the February deadline fast approaching, Nigerians are watching closely to see if the government will honor its promise or risk further public outrage.
