Finally, Tinubu Government Commences Payment of ₦77k NYSC Allowance

The Tinubu Government has commenced the payment of ₦77k NYSC allowance.

Newsone Nigeria reports that the Federal Government, led by President Bola Tinubu, has commenced the payment of the revised N77,000 monthly allowance for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

This online news platform understands that several corps members confirmed receiving the ₦77k NYSC allowance on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, ending the prolonged wait that had led to frustration and protests.

An NYSC member serving in Lagos, identified simply as Chinedu, expressed joy over the increase, saying, “I just checked my account balance, and I saw N77,000 credited from the Federal Government. This is a huge relief.”

“Yes, corps members have started receiving their new allowance in line with the newly approved minimum wage,” publisher of Corpers Diary (@corpersdiary_ng) an online community for corps members, Jeremiah Olatinwo, also confirmed.

The payment of the ₦77k NYSC allowance after months of delays follows the promise made by the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, that the new monthly allowance will be implemented starting in March 2025.

This comes days after the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, assured Nigerians during a television interview that payments would be made by the end of March. The Minister had also assured us that the backlog of the new monthly allowance would also be paid.

Unfortunately, while the new stipend has been disbursed, arrears owed to corps members remain unsettled. A source in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) told The Nation newspaper that the outstanding arrears were not paid with the new allowance

The source in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation explained the Federal government was still working on the details and assured that the backlogs would be cleared soon.

Meanwhile, Newsone reports that the increase in corps members’ allowances was first announced in September 2023, raising the monthly stipend from N33,000 to N77,000 to align with the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024. Despite the approval, implementation stalled due to financial constraints and administrative processes.

Speaking on the matter, Olawande defended the government’s slow response, stating that while President Bola Tinubu had approved the raise months ago, the required budgetary allocations were not in place.

“It was not in the budget when the President announced it. Some agencies and parastatals need to have their salaries included in the budget before anything can be done or paid out,” he said.

The Minister clarified that the necessary budgetary adjustments had been completed, allowing the government to proceed with payments.

“Anybody can approve anything, but you must have a budgetary allocation for it. Now, they are done with the process. It has been approved and signed. Now, they can start taking it,” he added.