The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has refuted circulating reports suggesting that corps members are set to receive a ₦70,000 minimum wage. In a recent statement, Eddy Megwa, the Director of Information and Public Relations for the NYSC, clarified that no directive has been issued by the relevant government authorities to increase the corps members’ allowance to ₦70,000.
Megwa urged corps members, their families, and the public to disregard these false claims, emphasizing that all official communications regarding allowances would come through the recognized channels of the NYSC. He also advised corps members to be cautious and not to fall victim to misinformation designed to exploit and mislead them.
The NYSC previously adjusted the monthly allowance for corps members from ₦19,800 to ₦33,000 in 2020, following the implementation of the new minimum wage of ₦30,000.
In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed a new minimum wage bill into law, raising the national minimum wage to ₦70,000. This move came after prolonged discussions between the government, labor unions, and the private sector, finally reaching an agreement.
President Tinubu’s administration viewed the signing of the bill as a fulfillment of his commitment to improving workers’ wages, a promise he made during his election campaign. The bill was passed swiftly by the National Assembly and includes provisions for the ₦70,000 minimum wage to be reviewed every three years.
This legislative change comes amidst rising living costs in Nigeria, with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reporting an inflation rate of 34% as of June 2024.
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