NYSC Awaits FG’s Directive On Implementation of N70,000 Minimum Wage For Corps Members
The Management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has clarified that any increase in corps members’ allowances, following the recent approval of a N70,000 minimum wage, will be determined solely by the Federal Government. This was reiterated by the acting Director of the Information and Public Relations unit of the NYSC, Caroline Embu, during a statement made on Tuesday.
This clarification comes after speculations regarding a potential increase in corps members’ pay following President Tinubu’s signing of the new minimum wage bill into law on July 29, 2024. The new wage, approved after extensive negotiations with organized labor, raised expectations among corps members that their stipends would also be adjusted in line with the new law.
In the wake of this, rumors circulated that corps members had received instructions to ensure their bank accounts could accommodate a payment above N50,000. A message was reportedly shared advising corps members to upgrade their accounts, as the camps’ bank accounts could not handle amounts exceeding N50,000. The NYSC, however, was quick to discredit the message, labeling it as entirely false.
In an official statement signed by the former Director of Information and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, the NYSC emphasized that no directive had been received from the relevant government sectors regarding wage increases for corps members. The statement further noted that no information had been released by the NYSC regarding the rumored upgrade of bank accounts.
Addressing ongoing concerns about the review of corps members’ pay, Caroline Embu reaffirmed that any such changes would be at the discretion of the Federal Government. She emphasized that, while corps members would benefit from any future wage increases, no official decision or communication had been made regarding their allowance.
“The review of the allowance is entirely in the hands of the Federal Government, and there is currently no change in the stipends received by corps members,” Embu reiterated.
