From Promise to Betrayal: 7 Months On, FG Fails to Pay Corpers’ N77K Allawee
By Ahmad Tahir,
Seven months have passed since the federal government announced an increase in the allowance for corps members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) – from ₦33,000 to ₦77,000.
Yet, corps members are still waiting. The silence from the authorities is deafening, and frustration is turning into anger as thousands of young Nigerians struggle to survive on an outdated stipend in an economy that grows harsher by the day.
Promises were made. Expectations were raised. But now, corps members across the country are left wondering if they were ever taken seriously.
FG Acts Swiftly – But Not for Corpers
The ₦77,000 allowance was approved in August last year. Back then, it was presented as a necessary adjustment to cushion corps members against economic hardship. The government reaffirmed in January 2025 that payments would begin in February (last month), but nothing has changed.
This is the same government that swiftly approved billions for new vehicles and official quarters’ renovations for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. When it comes to corps members and civil servants, however, there is no urgency. Instead, they are met with bureaucratic excuses about “paucity of funds” and a complete lack of transparency.
Corpers Speak: “We Feel Cheated”
The delay is not just frustrating; it is devastating. Many corps members structured their service year around the expectation of the new allowance. Now, they are barely surviving.
Akuh Benjamin, who completed his service in February 2025, says he felt deceived:
“The government made a promise they had no intention of keeping. Every month, we waited, but nothing happened. I finished my service without seeing a kobo of the ₦77,000. If they could do this to us now, how can we trust them in the future?”
Another former corps member, Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu, said: “The government does not care about young people. If this is how they treat us at the start of our careers, what does that say about our future? The ₦77,000 was supposed to help us survive, but it was just another lie.”
For serving corps members, the situation is even more desperate. A corps member, Emmanuel Moses (not real name), is currently serving in Wuse, Abuja. He said corps members feel abandoned.
“We were counting on this money. ₦33,000 is nothing in today’s Nigeria. We are suffering, and nobody in power seems to care.”
Mahmud Faisal, who is serving in Kano, echoed his colleagues’ sentiment.
“We were so excited when we heard about the increase. Now, it feels like a joke. They keep us waiting while they live comfortably.”
NYSC and FG Keep Mum
PRNigeria could not reach the NYSC spokesperson on phone, while his subordinating departmental staff declined to speak on the matter.
The government’s silence has left corps members in the dark. No explanations, no updates, just an endless wait. It is a pattern corps members have come to recognize—grand promises, followed by silence, then eventually, quiet abandonment.
A Scheme Losing Its Purpose
The NYSC program was created to foster national unity, but for many corps members today, it feels like a burden with no reward.
Discussions about its relevance are growing, with some questioning whether the scheme still serves its purpose.
If the government does not act, corps members may lose faith not just in NYSC, but in the leadership of the country itself. A government that cannot keep its word to young graduates is one that risks alienating an entire generation.
For now, corps members continue to wait, struggling through each day, hoping that someone in power will finally care enough to do what was promised. Until then, their service to the nation remains a one-sided sacrifice.
