The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has clarified that any increase in corps members’ allowances, in line with the newly approved N70,000 minimum wage for workers, will be determined solely by the Federal Government.
Caroline Embu, the acting Director of the Information and Public Relations unit at NYSC, made this statement during an interview on Tuesday.
This follows the recent signing of the N70,000 minimum wage bill into law by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, after negotiations with organized labor.
Amidst this development, rumors began to spread regarding a potential increase in corps members’ pay, with some speculating that they would need to update their bank accounts to receive payments exceeding N50,000. A widely circulated message read: “Most of the corps members’ accounts opened during orientation cannot hold more than N50,000. All corps members are advised to visit their banks and ensure their accounts can receive amounts above N70,000.”
However, the NYSC debunked these claims, calling the message “completely false.” In a statement signed by the former Director of Information and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, the agency said: “There has been no official directive from the relevant government sector responsible for wage matters. Hence, it is impossible for NYSC to issue any related statement.”
On Tuesday, when asked if there were any ongoing negotiations regarding an increase in corps members’ allowances, the acting spokesperson reaffirmed that this decision rested with the Federal Government, not the NYSC.
“I cannot confirm how much the Federal Government will decide to pay the corps members at this time. The decision is not ours to make. However, as the Director-General has said, corps members will benefit from an increase in their allowance once the new minimum wage takes effect,” Embu explained.
