The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Federal Government to investigate the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over its failure to implement the newly approved N77,000 monthly allowance for corps members.

Despite the Federal Government’s approval of the increase from N33,000 to N77,000—effective July 2024—NANS expressed disappointment that corps members were yet to receive the new payment. NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, attributed the delay to the “non-release of funds.”

In a statement on Sunday, NANS National Vice President, Inter-Campus Affairs, Felicia Akinbodunse, questioned the delay, noting that corps members received only N33,000 for their February allowance, despite the NYSC DG’s assurance that payment would commence in February 2025.

Akinbodunse emphasized that since the Federal Government and several states had already begun paying the new minimum wage of N70,000, “the NYSC has no justification to withhold the payment of the approved allowance to corps members.” She described the continued payment of the old allowance as “gross injustice.”

She insisted that the Federal Government must investigate the matter, warning that failure to pay the new allowance could demoralize corps members amid the country’s economic challenges.

“The leadership of the student body would equally interface with the NYSC to find out why corps members are yet to benefit from the new minimum wage of N77,000, even when staff of the NYSC are receiving the increase in pay from the Federal Government,” Akinbodunse added.