The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is expected to spend up to N307.6 billion on mobilizing and paying allowances to corps members, according to a report.
This is due to the increase in corps members’ monthly allowance from N33,000 to N77,000, which the NYSC announced in September 2024. The raise followed the signing of the new minimum wage bill into law in May 2024.
On average, the NYSC mobilizes between 1,200 and 1,500 corps members per orientation camp across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Mobilization takes place in three batches every year Batch A, B, and C resulting in approximately 55,500 corps members per batch and a total of 333,000 corps members annually.
With each corps member now entitled to N77,000 per month, the total cost for a single batch amounts to N25.64 billion, leading to an annual expenditure of N307.6 billion.
In the 2025 budget proposal presented by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly in December 2024, the NYSC was allocated N430.7 billion, the highest in the past five years. Out of this, N372.9 billion (86.5% of the total allocation) was designated for corps members’ allowances.
However, five months after the new allowance was announced, the Federal Government has yet to implement the payments. The allowance increase, initially expected to take effect in February 2025, has not been disbursed.
Responding to inquiries, NYSC’s Acting Director of Press and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, stated that the scheme is still awaiting cash backing from the government.
Meanwhile, in a WhatsApp message seen by The Reporters, the newly appointed NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu reportedly assured that payments would begin in March 2025.
Attempts to reach the NYSC spokesperson for further comments were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.
