for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member as against the previous amount of 33,000 naira.
Youth corps members will start receiving the new payment, which the government has backdated to July 2024, according to a statement from NYSC spokesperson, Caroline Embu.
She said: “This increment is in line with the implementation of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.
“We received the report from the letter by the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, dated 25th September 2024, and signed by the Chairman, Ekpo Nta.” The NYSC spokesperson continued.
“In July, lawmakers passed the National Minimum Wage Act 2024, and all employers of labor in Nigeria are now required to pay their lower-ranking staff at least 70,000 naira monthly, as approved by the president.” She said.
Many Nigerian workers have been complaining that the harsh economic situation has made their 30,000 naira take-home pay insufficient to meet the economic reality and significantly affects their lifestyle. For the past five years, Nigeria’s government set the minimum wage at 30,000 naira ($18) per month, which was equivalent to $80 in 2019, but due to the devaluation of the naira, it decreased.
Nigeria’s inflation is around 33%, and this has affected the prices of food items in the market, causing many low-income Nigerians to struggle to afford basic meals.
In her statement, Embu explained also “that the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, went on an advocacy visit to the Chairman, and during that visit, he requested a better welfare package for Corps members.”
“Having implemented this NYSC allowance increment, NYSC Director believes that the increase will reduce the suffering of Corps Members and will boost their morale, encouraging them to do even more as they serve the nation.
“Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a one-year mandatory national service for individuals who graduate from higher institutions.” She stated further.
As at the time of establishment, NYSC was introduced in the 1970s with the hope of promoting unity among the different ethnic communities in Nigeria. NYSC members are posted to schools or hospitals far from their homes, to other parts of the country.
