The federal government has approved an increase in the monthly allowance for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, raising it from N33,000 to N77,000, effective July 2024.
News About Nigeria reports that this development was announced in a statement signed by Caroline Embu, the NYSC’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
According to the statement, the decision followed the enactment of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.
The approval was detailed in a letter from the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, signed by its Chairman, Ekpo Nta, and dated September 25, 2024.
The increase comes after the passage of the new Minimum Wage Bill, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, which set the national minimum wage at N70,000 for Nigerian workers.
Prior to this, corps members were earning N33,000 per month after the minimum wage was raised to N30,000 in 2019.
Following the new minimum wage law, rumours had circulated about a possible increase in corps members’ pay, but the NYSC management had clarified that only the Federal Government could authorise such a change.
In the statement, Embu also noted that Brigadier-General Yusha’u Ahmed, the Director General of NYSC, had visited the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission to advocate for improved welfare for corps members.
Ahmed expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the approval, stating that the new allowance would provide relief to corps members and motivate them to contribute even more to the nation’s development.
“The Federal Government has approved the increase of corps members’ monthly allowance to N77,000 with effect from July 2024. This is in line with the enactment of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024,” the statement read.
Ahmed said he was optimistic that the increase would positively impact the morale of corps members, encouraging them to perform their duties with greater enthusiasm.
