Whether you’re an aspiring corp member or you are currently serving Nigeria with all your strength, you are likely to find yourself at some point asking questions like… has NYSC allowance been increased? will there be an increase in NYSC allowance soon? What’s the latest update on NYSC allowance increment? And so on…

We are not interested in seeing people remain in the dark over matters involving NYSC allowance, hence we decided to offer a guide that will be updated regularly to include latest happenings.

What is NYSC Allowance all about?

NYSC allowance, popularly referred to affectionately by corp members as “allawee”, is the monthly stipend paid by the Federal Government of Nigeria to everyone currently deployed to participate in the compulsory 1 year service after graduating from their respective higher institutions.

The recent inflation in the country has seen several distinguished individuals make repeated calls for an increase in the current allowance paid to Nigerian corp members.

Be it a political propaganda or not the then Governor of Ondo State, Fayose, made clear his opinions regarding the ₦19,800 stipend corp members (or coppers, as Nigerians love to call them) currently receive to cater for their monthly needs.

He insisted that it is not enough and can’t possibly meet their needs, considering the harsh economic situations surrounding the country.

The Director General of the NYSC, Kazaure, also said this in an interview: “The 19,800 Naira paid to Corps members is grossly inadequate to cater for their needs during the mandatory one year service to the nation.

“The federal government has set-up a committee to look into the upward review of the minimum wage which will determine the increase of the corps members’ allowance.

Also, in past years, we’ve witnessed protests by corp members in several parts of Nigeria demanding for a review of the current allawee.

Brief history of NYSC and allowance

NYSC was created on the 22^nd of May, 1973 with the aim of rebuilding the nation after the civil war that ravaged several parts of south-eastern Nigeria.

The ultimate goal of the scheme was, and still is, to foster unity among the citizens of Nigeria irrespective of their states of origin, tribes or religions; major reason for the shuffling technique employed during deployment of prospective corp members.

However, the aim of the scheme is unachievable if there are no incentives attached. Reason is, a lot of people get deployed to distant places and as a result may need to start afresh in unfamiliar surroundings. Some corp members even end up taking care of their own accommodations in cases where the lodges provided by their PPA (Place of Primary Assignment) is not enough for everyone.

Nigerian Corp members earned a miniature monthly stipend of ₦9,800 until 2011 when the then president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, approved an increase to ₦19,800. 

The recent inflation in the country has, however, resulted to almost everyone demand for another increase.

The question now is…

When will NYSC Increase corp members’ allowance?

First of all, it is not the responsibility of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to increase corp members (coppers). An increment is solely dependent on the Nigerian Federal Government and the lawmakers. And, as it appears, there’s been no progress so far.

Taking note of Kazaure’s comment, he made it clear that an increase in NYSC allawee is only possible after there’s been an increase in the Nigerian Minimum wage which is currently set at ₦18,000.

And so far there’s been no progress whatsoever in the demand for an increase in the Nigerian minimum wage. This means that we are nowhere near an increase in NYSC allowance.

Although the Nigerian Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is not aimed at enriching pockets – but to involve the Nigerian graduates in nation building, such harsh financial conditions will not help in any way.

After spending 4 or 5 good years in the university, Nigerian graduates are made to risk their lives by traveling to distant places, face harsh climatic conditions they may not be accustomed to, and work in schools even if they really aren’t teachers.

All those aforementioned discomforts would be eased if a well-deserved incentive package is offered to anyone involved in the compulsory 1-year scheme.

So we hope to see a change soon!

What to do before an increase in allowance?

Now that it is obvious the Nigerian federal Government will not increase corp members monthly allowance any time soon the best thing to do, if you’re currently serving, is to watch your spending.

You can also involve yourself in other productive endeavors, since NYSC doesn’t prevent corp members from having side-hustles.

You must also begin to plan for your life after NYSC while you’re currently service. Unemployment in Nigeria is as real as the sun in daylight.

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