After months of delays, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has finally begun paying corps members the increased monthly allowance of N77,000. This comes six months after first announcing the increment.
On Wednesday afternoon, 26 March, corps members confirmed receiving credit alerts reflecting the new stipend.
The long-overdue payment follows widespread frustration over the government’s slow response. It also comes amid a social media campaign sparked by backlash against a corps member, Raye, who criticised terrible governance in Nigeria.
The NYSC initially announced in September 2024 that the stipend would increase from N33,000 to N77,000. This followed the approval of a new national minimum wage of N70,000. The scheme stated that the increment took effect from July 2024, but months passed without implementation. Many corps members were left stranded in an increasingly challenging economic climate.
The prolonged delay was previously blamed on budgetary constraints. Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande defended the government’s slow response in a recent interview. He explained that the national budget did not initially account for the wage increase.
It was not in the budget when the president announced it. Some agencies and parastatals need to have their salaries included before anything can be done or paid out,” Olawande said.
Despite his assurances, many corps members had grown sceptical. The government had repeatedly failed to fulfil its promises. While the payment offers temporary relief, it does little to address broader economic frustrations. These are issues that corps member Raye voiced in a viral video that put her at odds with NYSC officials.
Raye’s Viral Rant and Government Backlash
On 15 March 2025, Raye, a serving corps member, posted a TikTok video condemning Nigeria’s poor governance. She criticised the worsening economic situation, skyrocketing prices, and poor infrastructure. She argued that young Nigerians were being left to struggle while leaders failed to address the crisis.
She described how food prices kept rising weekly and questioned whether the government planned to curb inflation. Her frustration resonated with many Nigerians who shared similar grievances. However, it also drew immediate retaliation from NYSC officials.
Barely a day after her video went viral, Raye began receiving threats from NYSC officials. She was ordered to delete her posts and report to the Eti-Osa Local Government office in Lagos. Screenshots shared online showed messages from NYSC representatives warning her of possible disciplinary action. They accused her of violating NYSC bye-laws, prohibiting corps members from engaging in political discussions.
Despite the threats, Raye defended her right to free speech. She argued that she had only questioned government policies rather than engaged in partisan attacks.
I made sure not to accuse the government of anything maliciously! I asked questions. As an NYSC corps member, I didn’t sign off my freedom of speech,” she wrote on Instagram.
Her ordeal sparked widespread outrage. Many Nigerians condemned the NYSC’s response as an attempt to silence legitimate concerns rather than address the economic struggles corps members face. This led to the launch of a #30DaysRantChallenge to call out the government’s failure to address economic issues. For days, young people across the country shared posts and videos detailing their struggles with inflation, unemployment, and worsening living conditions.
The campaign also exposed what many see as the government’s hypocrisy. Authorities promise better welfare for young people but punish those who voice their grievances. Critics argue that officials are more focused on silencing dissent instead of tackling economic hardship.
The Tinubu-led administration has faced criticism since removing fuel subsidies in May 2023. The decision led to a spike in fuel prices and deepened Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis. While the increased NYSC stipend is a step up from the previous amount, many argue that it remains inadequate given today’s economic realities.
The price of food, transportation, and rent has more than doubled in many parts of the country since the subsidy removal. It has become increasingly difficult for young Nigerians to survive on a single income.
A recent West Africa Weekly report highlights that the cost of living in urban areas such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt has become nearly unbearable. Transport alone often consumes more than half of the new stipend. This leaves corps members with little to cover for food, rent, and other essentials. As such, even with the increment, Nigerians are demanding real policies that alleviate economic hardship rather than manage public outrage.
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