The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is projected to spend approximately N307.6 billion on mobilization and payment of allowances to corps members, following the increase in their monthly stipend from N33,000 to N77,000.
The increase was announced in September 2024 after the signing of the new minimum wage bill in May 2024. On average, the NYSC mobilizes around 333,000 corps members annually in three batches—A, B, and C. With each corps member now entitled to N77,000, the total cost for each batch amounts to N25.64 billion, bringing the yearly expenditure to N307.6 billion.
In the 2025 budget proposal presented by President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government allocated N430.7 billion to the NYSC, the highest in five years. Of this, N372.9 billion—86.5% of the total allocation—was earmarked for corps members’ allowances.
However, five months after the announcement, the new allowance has yet to be implemented. The NYSC’s acting Director of Press and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, attributed the delay to the lack of necessary cash backing.
In a WhatsApp message, the newly appointed NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, reportedly assured that payments would commence in March. Efforts to obtain further comments from NYSC officials were unsuccessful.
