Broken Promises: The NYSC Allowance Increase That Never Came

Despite the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) promising to raise corps members’ monthly allowance to N77,000 starting February 2025, the Tinubu-led Nigerian government has failed to implement the increase, continuing to pay the old stipend of N33,000, SaharaReporters has learned.

Multiple corps members reported receiving their February allowances late on Friday night, only to discover that the amount had remained unchanged at N33,000—far less than the N77,000 that was promised. This development contradicts assurances given earlier in January by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, who publicly declared that the increase was approved and would take effect by February.

“The Federal Government has already approved the increment of your allowance. It is no longer news; we have the approval in our hands. What we are waiting for is just the passage of the budget,” Ahmed had told corps members in Katsina State, vowing that they would begin receiving the new allowance by February.

However, February has come and gone, and the promised increase remains unfulfilled.

As of now, the Tinubu government has not provided any official explanation for the failure to implement the increase, leaving corps members disappointed and frustrated. With Nigeria’s inflation rate soaring and the cost of living becoming unbearable, the N33,000 stipend is no longer enough to cover even basic needs for most corps members.

Many corps members are struggling to afford food, transportation, and accommodation, as the prices of essential goods rise due to the economic policies and naira depreciation under the Tinubu administration.

A corps member serving in Oyo expressed his frustration: “How do they expect us to survive on ₦33,000 when everything is expensive? They told us we would get ₦77,000 this month, and now they have failed again. This government keeps making promises but never delivers.”

Another corps member in Kano lamented that the delay in the allowance increment exemplifies the government’s indifference to the struggles of young Nigerians.

“We are serving our country, yet we cannot even afford decent meals. The government knows that ₦33,000 is not enough, but they don’t care. They keep making empty promises while we suffer,” she said.

The failure to fulfill the promised increase in the allowance has further eroded trust in the Tinubu administration, which has faced widespread criticism for its economic policies that have led to rising inflation, unemployment, and poverty across the country.