In what many young Nigerians have described as a timely development, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has commenced payment of N44,000 arrears to corps members.
This decision follows months of anticipation and represents a fulfillment of the Federal Government’s promise to implement the new minimum wage across all sectors.
The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Akinyemi Nafiu, officially confirmed the disbursement during the Batch A 2025 Pre-Mobilisation Workshop in Abuja.
According to him, payments are being released in stages.
“The arrears are being paid in batches,” he said, adding that both current and recently discharged corps members will benefit from the exercise.
The N44,000 arrears being paid cover the allowance difference from July 2024 to March 2025.
During that period, corps members were still receiving the old monthly rate of N33,000, despite the approval of the new minimum wage.
The upgrade to N44,000 reflects the 10% top-up on the N70,000 national minimum wage structure passed in July 2024.
Meanwhile, the actual monthly implementation only started in March 2025, which left an eight-month gap.
Many corps members, unsure of when or if the difference would be paid, have now expressed relief over the new development.
Furthermore, the NYSC DG reassured Nigerians that “no one will be left out” in the process.
His statement has helped calm fears that only a few would benefit or that discharged corps members would be excluded.
In addition, this development is seen as a positive step towards restoring trust in the government’s commitment to youth welfare.
The NYSC arrears payment demonstrates that despite delays, promises can still be honored.
Moreover, it reflects efforts to correct previous lapses in salary structures for corps members.
It is well