Will NYSC Members Get the ₦70,000 Minimum Wage? 

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has stated that any increase in the monthly pay for corps members, due to the new minimum wage of N70,000, is a decision for the Federal Government to make.

Caroline Embu, who leads the Information and Public Relations Unit at NYSC, explained this to reporters recently.

This statement came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed a law on July 29, 2024, establishing the new minimum wage after lengthy discussions with labor leaders. This led to rumors about possible pay increases for corps members. 

There was even a message going around telling corps members to check if their bank accounts could receive more than N50,000, claiming that “Most of the corps members’ accounts opened in the camp cannot take more than N50,000 at once. 

All corps members are advised to visit their various banks and confirm that their account can take or receive more than N70,000.”

However, the NYSC has called these claims completely untrue. Eddy Megwa, a former NYSC director, released a statement saying that there is no truth to these rumors and that the NYSC has not received any instructions from the government about increasing corps members’ pay.

Embu reinforced this by saying, “It’s up to the Federal Government to decide if corps members’ allowances will increase and by how much. The NYSC isn’t negotiating new pay for corps members right now. Any increase would only happen if the government says so, just as the Director-General mentioned.”