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Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have publicly challenged Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, the scheme’s Director-General, accusing him of falling short on a pledge delivered to the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream II corps members during their orientation in Katsina State—a promise now mired in frustration.
In January 2025, Brigadier General Ahmed had stood before the fresh-faced corps members, unveiling a much-anticipated raise: a new monthly stipend of N77,000, set to roll out in February 2025, a lifeline meant to ease the grind of their service year.
He had assured them that this financial uplift was securely woven into the fabric of the 2025 Federal Government budget, poised to kick in as soon as lawmakers gave it the green light—an optimistic forecast that’s since hit a wall, leaving corps members restless and vocal.
“This month (January) has already ended, but once the budget is passed, by next month (February), you will start receiving N77,000 instead of the usual N33,000,” he said.
However, as corp members were expecting to receive their N77,000 as promised, many of their expectations were cut short, as they all received N33,000.
Read also: Corps Members To Start Receiving ₦77,000 Soon – NYSC DG
Speaking to our correspondent on a phone call, a 2024 serving corps member in Lagos State expressed his anger, stating that the scheme is playing politics with the cash flow.
He said, “Most government parastatals have started paying the implemented minimum wage. As government children, we ought to be the first to receive this minimum wage, but the reverse is the case. It’s painful, I must say, because every money-sharing event keeps flying in the National Assembly, but here we are stuck with N33,000 allowance that cannot pay transport for two week”.
In a targeted investigation, a broad cross-section of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, uncovering a unanimous and striking revelation: not a single corps member has received a monthly stipend exceeding N33,000, casting a stark spotlight on the gap between promise and reality.
