National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has assured corps members that they will start enjoying the N70,000 minimum wage soon.
The corps promised that as soon as civil servants started receiving the new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government, their monthly allowance would also increase.
But federal civil servants in Abuja have decried the prolonged delay in implementation of the new minimum wage, even as the economic condition continues to worsen across the country.
The Guardian reports that the monthly allowance for corps members paid by the Federal Government is still N33,000. In a statement by the Acting Director, Information and Public Relations of NYSC, Caroline Embu, the Director-General, Brig-Gen Yusha’u Ahmed, gave the assurance while addressing corps members at Kebbi State Orientation Camp in Dakingari and Sokoto State Orientation Camp in Wamakko.
He said their selfless and immense contributions to the socio-economic development of the country could not be underestimated.
Ahmed implored them to use the opportunity of the service year to develop themselves and plan for greater heights in the future. He advised them to embrace the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme to acquire vocational skills that would make them self-reliant.
He added that NYSC management partnered with many reliable organisations such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industry (BoI), Unity Bank, Access Bank and NNPC Foundation to assist with loans and grants to corps members.
The living standard of Nigerians has continued to deteriorate since President Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidies on petroleum products on May 29, 2023.
The liberalisation of the exchange rate windows in June also exacerbated the economic situation, leading to a long negotiation between organised labour and the Federal Government. On July 19, 2024, both parties settled for N70,000 new minimum wage.
The Federal Government also announced a 25 per cent and 35 per cent adjustment in salaries of certain categories of workers on the consolidated salary structures.
The pay raise, which was supposed to take effect in January, has neither been paid nor the minimum wage of N70,000 implemented at the end of August.
Findings, however, revealed that Edo, Adamawa, Osun, Taraba, Enugu and Ebonyi states have commenced payment of the N70,000 minimum wage to their civil servants.
Mrs Maimuna Tijani, a civil servant, said the delay in implementing the wage increase was frustrating and unfair.
According to her, civil servants are already struggling to make ends meet, and the government’s failure to follow through on its promises only worsens the situation.
