Minimum wage: NYSC go spend N307.6bn on corpers allowances

National Youth service corps

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) fit spend up to N307.6bn for mobilisation and payment of corpers allowances, na wetin The PUNCH report.
This amount dey based on the increase wey NYSC announce for corpers allowances, wey rise from N33,000 to N77,000, as dem talk for statement wey dem release for September 2024.

The increase follow the signing of the new minimum wage bill into law for May 2024.
Normally, NYSC dey mobilise between 1,200 and 1,500 corpers for orientation exercise across camps for the 36 states plus Federal Capital Territory. Dem dey mobilise corpers for three batches every year—A, B, and C.

This one mean say dem dey mobilise an average of 55,500 corpers per batch, and this go bring the total corpers wey dem mobilise for one year to 333,000.
Since each corper go collect N77,000 now, the total payment for one batch go reach N25.64bn. Over the year, this one go bring the total allowance for corpers to N307.6bn.

For the 2025 budget wey President Bola Tinubu present to National Assembly for December 2024, Federal Government allocate N430.7bn to NYSC, the highest allocation for the past five years. Out of this money, dem earmark N372.9bn—wey be 86.5 percent of the total allocation—for payment of corpers allowances.

But Federal Government never start to pay the new N77,000 allowance rate, even five months after dem announce am for September 25, 2024.
After dem no fit implement the payment for February, the acting Director of Press and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, talk say dem still dey wait for the necessary cash backing.
“The cash backing still dey awaited,” na wetin Embu talk for her response.

For one WhatsApp message wey our correspondent see on Wednesday, the newly appointed Director-General of the Scheme, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, reportedly assure say payments go start for March.

Efforts to reach the NYSC spokesperson for more talk on top the matter no work, as calls and messages to her no get reply.