Hopes of a financial lifeline for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were dashed as the Tinubu-led government paid out the old N33,000 monthly stipend for February 2025, despite promises of a raise to N77,000.
Truth Live News reports that multiple corps members across Nigeria confirmed receipt of their allowances late Friday night, only to discover that the much-touted increase—heralded as a done deal by NYSC leadership—had not materialized, leaving them grappling with an amount less than half of what was pledged.
The shortfall flies in the face of assurances from NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, who in January boldly declared the increment secure. “The Federal Government has already approved the increment of your allowance. It is no longer news; we have the approval in our hands. What we are waiting for is just the passage of the budget,” Ahmed told corps members in Katsina State, promising that by February, they would pocket N77,000. Yet, as February closed, the pledge evaporated, leaving thousands in limbo with no official word from the Tinubu administration to explain the delay.
For corps members, the unchanged N33,000 feels like a lifeline fraying under Nigeria’s spiraling inflation and soaring cost of living—conditions worsened by economic policies like naira depreciation under President Tinubu’s watch. Basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing have become luxuries for many, as prices of essentials climb relentlessly. The frustration is palpable among those serving their mandatory year, who feel abandoned by a government that vowed relief but delivered silence.
A corps member in Oyo State vented his dismay: “How do they expect us to survive on ₦33,000 when everything is expensive? They told us we would get ₦77,000 this month, and now they have failed again. This government keeps making promises but never delivers.” His words echo a chorus of discontent, with the meager stipend stretched thin against a backdrop of economic hardship that shows no sign of easing.
In Kano, another corps member highlighted the disconnect between government rhetoric and reality. “We are serving our country, yet we cannot even afford decent meals. The government knows that ₦33,000 is not enough, but they don’t care. They keep making empty promises while we suffer,” she said, her voice a raw testament to the growing disillusionment among Nigeria’s youth. The delay, she argued, is yet another sign of the administration’s indifference to their plight.
The unfulfilled promise has deepened distrust in Tinubu’s leadership, already under fire for policies blamed for spiking inflation, unemployment, and poverty nationwide. Corps members, tasked with national service, now find themselves caught in a cycle of unmet expectations, their faith in official assurances crumbling with each passing month. As the economic crisis bites harder, the N33,000 allowance—unchanged since 2020—stands as a stark symbol of stagnation, far outpaced by the realities of 2025’s marketplace.
With no explanation forthcoming, the government’s silence only fuels the frustration. For NYSC members, the gap between N33,000 and the promised N77,000 isn’t just financial—it’s a breach of trust, leaving them to wonder if relief will ever come..