John AdoyiAn atmosphere of mixed emotions has gripped the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as the Federal Government begins the long-awaited payment of ₦77,000 monthly allowance to corps members. While many have taken to the social media to celebrate receiving credit alerts, others are still waiting in anxiety, unsure if or when they will be paid.
The allowance increase, first announced in September 2024, was part of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 and was supposed to take effect from July 2024. However, the implementation was delayed. In October, then-NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed confirmed that the necessary funds had not yet been released, causing payment to be postponed.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Federal Government later assured corps members that disbursement would begin in January 2025, but the delay persisted. Corps members were told it will be February but the ₦33,000 allowance was still paid, living corps members in doubt when the new Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, pledged it will not go beyond March.
Many were expecting the normal ₦33,000 for March until the over due ₦77,000 started rolling in on Wednesday 26 March.
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Corps members who received their allowances flooded social media with celebratory posts. An X (formerly Twitter) user, @Attah_Akor, wrote, “NYSC don dey pay N77k, na to dey waka with weapon. Country no safe for rich people,” sharing a screenshot of his credit alert. Another user excitedly confirmed, “It’s real ooo! I just received my 77k allowee.”
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In an NYSC WhatsApp group for corps members in Oshodi-Isolo LGA, Lagos, one corps member humorously declared, “It is time for me to buy land in Banana Island. I am now officially a big boy. If e easy, do am.”
“I cannot believe this. But I am grateful,” Charity, a corps member in Ebonyi State wrote on social media.
Despite the widespread celebration, a significant number of corps members are yet to receive their payments. Many of them, speaking anonymously over fear of being singled out for speaking ill of the scheme, have expressed frustration and concern over the delay, with some expressing fear of being left out.
“It’s unfair that some of us have not been paid while others have. The government should be transparent about how they are rolling out this payment,” a corps member serving in Ekiti stated.
Another corps member in Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, wrote in a WhatsApp group, “I hope they have not forgotten us. I don’t want to be one of those that will hear stories later,” adding that she knows someone that wasn’t paid her first allowance in 2024 Badge C Stream 2.
A Batch A Stream 2 corps member in Lagos, who is set to pass out on Thursday, March 27, also shared his worries: “I have not received my alert, and I’m afraid NYSC will later tell us a story about how some people will be paid later.”
“We all know our Federal government. They always do the unthinkable,” he added.
Others are skeptical about the sustainability of the new allowance. A corps member in Ogun State said: “Even if I get this N77k, I won’t believe it’s permanent until I see it for three consecutive months. This government has made too many promises they haven’t kept.”
As the disbursement continues, many corps members remain hopeful that they will receive their payment soon. However, questions linger about whether NYSC will sustain the increased allowance in the coming months.
For now, while some celebrate their first ₦77,000 alert, others wait in anticipation, hoping their turn comes soon.
