The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has clarified why corps members received the old N33,000 monthly allowance in September 2024, despite the announcement of an increment to N77,000. This comes after a prior statement issued by the NYSC’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, indicated that the allowance increase, in line with the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, would take effect from July 2024.
However, corps members were surprised when they received their old monthly allowance for September, prompting questions about the delay. Speaking on the issue, Caroline Embu explained that the delay was due to administrative processes required for the implementation of the new allowance.
“It is a process. After making the pronouncement, the government has to work on it to be able to pay. It is not automatically implemented,” she said. Embu compared the situation to the gradual implementation of the new minimum wage, which also faced delays.
She further clarified that the NYSC is not responsible for making the payments, as the allowances come directly from the Federal Government. Embu could not confirm when the new N77,000 allowance would be implemented, stating, “We don’t know when it is going to be implemented, just like everybody is waiting for the minimum wage.”
This explanation indicates that while the allowance increment has been approved, the actual payment depends on government procedures, leaving corps members to await further updates.
