The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has assured that corps members who recently completed the national service would be paid the arrears of the N77, 000 allowance.
Director-General of the NYSC, Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu assued this during the Batch A 2025 pre-mobilisation workshop for heads of corps producing institutions and other stakeholders in Abuja on Thursday.
The government commenced payment of the N77,000 allowance to corps members in March, eight months after President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law.
Speaking with reporters during the event, the DG said: “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 to their their needs.”
NYSC schemes issues and needs for reforms
The Director, Corps Mobilisation, Mohammed Abubakar, lamented that the scheme still face serious issues. He noted fraudulent uploading of unqualified graduates by tertiary institutions, as a challenge.
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. However, it is fraught with challenges, especially the ongoing problem of dishonest enrollments. We must therefore stay alert and be proactive.”
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande said the scheme needs to be reformed in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.
“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.”
