By Usman Mujtaba
When Brigadier General O.O. Nafiu, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), announced that corps members would receive their monthly allowance of ₦77,000 starting from March 2025, they thought it was business as usual. This is because they had been receiving similar announcements since last year.
Moreover, the minister also gave multiple assurances recently when he was interviewed on Arise Television, Channels, and even on the MicOn Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, a host of Channels Television’s program Politics Tonight.Perhaps corps members are tired of the DG’s words; they only want action. As one Hausa adage goes, “An gaji da sa ba’a ga kaho ba.”
Unknown to them, this time is different, whether because it comes from the new DG or that the bureaucratic procedure was ripe, I couldn’t tell. But on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, corps members were thrilled to start receiving the ₦77,000 as their allowance, which they call “Allawee.” The jubilation was palpable across all regions of the country. Social media was full of jokes about the development, with one post reading, “NYSC DG for President 2027.” See how the allawee makes people go crazy
After the alert, what’s next? Minimum wage increment and inflation are familiar bedfellows; in fact, many economic pundits are against it, arguing that it won’t increase the value of products sold or services rendered. I was shocked when one of my friends told me that a corps member is tasked with responsibilities at home when they start serving. After a fixed amount, they will send monthly, so many requests will follow from such a home, probably from siblings.
The corps member who serves and the ghost corps member (who does the thumbprint) when the month ends are Tweedledee and Tweedledum in terms of expenses. Here’s why: while the serving corps member will have to budget for foodstuffs and transport, the ghost corps member plans for transport mainly from their hometown in a different state and the amount they’ll probably give to the PPA and/or the secretariat, given the agency’s corruption, nepotism, and favoritism. As such, the expenses become balanced. It’s better for a corps member to calmly settle at their place of primary assignment (PPA) and serve their fatherland.
Is it decisive to reform NYSC at this juncture? As the saying goes, “Eat when the food is ready. Speak when the time is right”? I recently came across an article, “Time to Reform NYSC,” in Daily Trust on April 23, 2025, in which Babakura Aninigi suggests some ways forward for the initiative. Though holistic, his take is realistic.
Aningi wrote, and I quote, “The federal government should consider restructuring the scheme… to reflect current realities.” This is apt because many believe that all is well with the adoption of a minimum wage. It’s not. Corps members will undoubtedly adjust, but only in the short term because inflation and additional expectations are inevitable. The call for reform of policy and strategy is the appeal for the long term.
The bustle and energy of graduates are palpable in towns whenever the NYSC opens its portal for registration. The energy will be doubled now that every graduate moves with additional zeal to enjoy the new approved allowance.
I discussed with one of my friends the possible addition of allowance from his PPA (a private school in Kano). I told him that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for him to get that addition with his ₦77,000.
He informed me they originally gave ₦5,000. Imagine! It’s indeed another challenge many corps members will face. Some will even withdraw what they usually give. As one of my friends jokingly observed, a corps member’s allowance is more than the salary of some private school headmaster.
₦77,000 is a commendable development, but it shouldn’t douse the energy and kill the idea of reforming the NYSC scheme.
Usman Mujtaba wrote via usmanmujtabashehu@gmail.com.