National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members across the country have expressed disappointment and frustration over the recent payment of their monthly allowance.
Despite the minimum wage in Nigeria being ₦70,000, corps members received a paltry ₦33,000, sparking widespread discontent.
“This is unacceptable,” said Emmanuel Okorie, a serving corps member in Lagos. “How can we survive on ₦33,000 in today’s economy? The cost of living is too high, and this allowance is a joke.”
Many corps members took to social media to vent their frustrations, using hashtags #IncreaseCorperAllowance and #NYSCAllowanceIsTooLow.
“We are expected to serve our country, but how can we do that effectively when we can’t even take care of ourselves?” asked Aisha Mohammed, a corps member in Kano.
The NYSC scheme, established in 1973, aims to promote national unity and development. However, corps members argue that the meager allowance undermines the program’s purpose.
“We urge the government to review the allowance to reflect the current economic reality,” said NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, in a statement.
The Federal Government has been called upon to increase the corps members’ allowance to at least the minimum wage of ₦70,000.
