The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has guaranteed that corps members who just finished their national service will be paid the outstanding arrears of the N77,000 allowance.
Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu, Director-General of the NYSC, made the assurance during the Batch A 2025 pre-mobilisation session for heads of corps producing institutions and other stakeholders on Thursday in Abuja.
The government began paying the N77,000 allowance to corps members in March, eight months after President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law.
Advertisement
READ MORE: Workers Allegedly Kill Site Engineer, Bury Body In Shallow Grave At Construction Site In Delta
Speaking to reporters at the event, the DG stated: “The government is quite conscious of its promise and within the budgetary provision, the government is going to handle that. Once funds are released to us to offset the arrears we will pay them. Even our corps members that passed out recently will benefit. Once we receive cash backing for the arrears we are going to credit them; we have their bank details.
“Nigerians should not fret about that because the government is both responsible and responsive their their needs.”
The Director of Corps Mobilisation, Mohammed Abubakar, expressed concern that the scheme continues to face significant challenges, especially the fraudulent uploading of unqualified graduates by tertiary institutions.
He said: “We have made remarkable progress in recent years, greatly reducing challenges, thanks to innovative approaches and better collaboration. However, we still face serious issues, particularly concerning the fraudulent uploading of unqualified graduates, which we must address.
“As we prepare for another batch of NYSC mobilisation, we must confront the pressing issues affecting our corps members. This process is vital for our nation’s growth, but it is fraught with challenges, especially the ongoing problem of dishonest enrollments. We must therefore stay alert and be proactive.”
The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, stated that the scheme requires reform to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.
He said: “I remember when the scheme was created in 1973. It was for a purpose. Everything since then has changed. We must therefore reform the scheme to meet our changing society.
“As Nigeria improves, we must continue to improve the scheme to meet demands. We must address the gaps of how the scheme will prepare our graduates for the job market. Let us reshape the process to meet the demands of the labour market.
“Reforming the NYSC mobilisation is not the job of the government alone. It is a collaborative effort. We can build an NYSC that is adaptive, inclusive and will serve our future generations.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, pledged the NYSC his full support throughout the service year.
The minister, represented by Abdullahi Suleiman, the Mandate Secretary for Youth and Sport at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), stated that the FCT administration would maintain its partnership with the scheme to help achieve its objectives.
