FG to pay N77,000 allowance arrears to ‘ex-corps members’

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has confirmed that corps members who recently completed their national service will receive payments for arrears of the N77,000 allowance.

Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, the NYSC Director-General, made this assurance on Thursday during the Batch A 2025 pre-mobilisation workshop in Abuja, attended by heads of Corps-producing institutions and other key stakeholders.

The payment of the N77,000 allowance began last month after an eight-month delay following the signing of the minimum wage bill into law by President Bola Tinubu. Addressing journalists at the event, General Nafiu stated, “The government is quite conscious of its promise, and within the budgetary provision, it will handle that. Once funds are released, we will pay the arrears. Even corps members who recently passed out will benefit. We have their bank details and will credit them as soon as we receive cash backing.”

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, also stressed the need to reform the NYSC scheme to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration. He noted that while the scheme was established in 1973 for a specific purpose, societal changes necessitate adjustments.

“As Nigeria improves, we must continue to improve the scheme to meet demands. We need to address how the scheme prepares graduates for the job market. Reforming NYSC mobilisation is a shared responsibility. We can build an NYSC that is adaptive, inclusive, and beneficial for future generations,” Olawande said.