- Caroline Embu explained that the delay in implementing the increased allowance was due to the procedural nature of the payment process
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has stated it cannot confirm when the newly approved monthly allowance of N77,000 for corps members will be implemented, despite the announcement made in September.
The clarification came in a press release issued by the agency’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, which disclosed that the monthly allowance had been increased from N33,000 to N77,000, effective from July 2024, in line with the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024.
However, it was reported that the administration of President Bola Tinubu still paid corps members the previous monthly allowance of N33,000 for the month of September, sparking concerns and confusion among corps members.
Addressing the issue in a telephone interview with SaharaReporters, NYSC Public Relations Officer Caroline Embu explained that the delay in implementing the increased allowance was due to the procedural nature of the payment process.
“It is a process. After making the pronouncement, the government has to work on it to be able to pay. It’s not something that happens automatically,” she said.
Embu added that the implementation of the new allowance is dependent on the Federal Government, not the NYSC, and could not specify whether it would be applied from October.
“It’s the same situation with the minimum wage. Implementation takes time, and we don’t know when it will commence, just like everyone else is waiting for the minimum wage,” she noted.
The delay has left many corps members in uncertainty, as they await further updates on when the new allowance will be fully enforced.