Nigerian Graduates Speak On Delay In NYSC’s Implementation Of New Minimum Wage 

365NEWS gathered that Some Nigerian graduates have revealed possible reasons for the delay in the implementation of the new minimum wage by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

Many of them explained that the NYSC is not a revenue-generating organisation compared to other parastatals in the country. As such, the proposed N77,000 allowance needs to be incorporated into the organisation’s budget.

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In early January 2025, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier- General Yusha’u Ahmed, stated in Abuja that corps members across the country would soon start receiving N77,000 as their monthly allowance.

However, some Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have threatened legal actions against the Director- General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over its delay in paying Corps members the minimum wage of N70,000.

Others have also taken to social media to accuse the Director-General of deliberately delaying the implementation despite being approved since August 2024 labelling it as corruption in the scheme.

A netizen wrote on Facebook: “Last weekend, the NYSC welcomed a new batch of Nigerian graduates to undertake the compulsory national service. This is at a time when over six months have passed since the Federal Government approved N70,000 as the new allowance for corps members, yet the last batch has yet to receive the new allowance. There are fears that officials are delaying the payment of the new allowance for the August batch until they pass out, so the funds can be cornered by these officials. If this isn’t corruption, I don’t know what else to call it.”

Reaffirming confidence in the Director-General, educational consultant, Taiwo Victor, popularly known as Campusinfo, stated that the DG is following the necessary procedures for the scheme and should engage with the public to explain the delay.

He said: “I believe the DG is adhering to the necessary procedures, as he mentioned. Government processes typically involve moving through various stages, from one office to another and from one table to the next. Since the new allowance has already been approved and signed into law, it’s certain that it will eventually be implemented. However, it will take time because government activities generally follow a step-by-step process.

“That said, it’s important for the DG to continue engaging the relevant authorities to ensure the process is expedited and the payment is made as soon as possible. It’s really just a matter of time, but consistent effort from leadership will help make the journey smoother and faster.”

Also speaking, Isaac Olalekan, an educator and postgraduate student at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), said: “I have come to the conclusion that the NYSC is not a revenue-generating organization like other parastatals. It’s not that the people you want to pay are bringing in millions every month. Unlike other organizations that generate revenue, the NYSC doesn’t have such resources. Therefore, it makes sense for the government to start the new minimum wage for them.

“No doubt, it has been on paper since August 2024, but the federal government might not have released the funds for them yet. If they had, the DG wouldn’t be saying otherwise.

“You know, the only thing the federal government does is add money to the NYSC’s account. It doesn’t really generate income from it. So, when you’re dealing with an organization that doesn’t generate revenue, it’s hard to suddenly raise the allowance from N33,000 to N77,000. That’s a significant jump.”

“It will likely start reflecting in their new budget, I think. NYSC is struggling with finances, which is why they haven’t been admitting many new corps members recently,” Adewale added.

“President Bola Tinubu isn’t joking with any government officials. He’s sacking most of them for poor performance, and all government officials are on their toes,” an anonymous source stated.