The federal government of Nigeria has committed to providing N75,000 cash transfers to 15 million of the country’s most impoverished households in 2025. However, the government has not yet fulfilled its promise to increase the allowances for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from N33,000 to N77,000 monthly.

Government’s Unfulfilled Promises: Cash Transfers and NYSC Allowance Increases
The President’s Pledge for Cash Transfers
On Wednesday, Nentawe Yilwatda, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, appeared on the Arise TV Morning Show. He revealed that President Bola Tinubu instructed his ministry to distribute N75,000 to 15 million of Nigeria’s poorest households.
Yilwatda went on to explain that each household typically consists of four to five members, which leads to an estimated total of 70 million beneficiaries. He emphasized, “The president’s target is to assist 15 million households. Each household generally includes four to five members. This translates to about 70 million people receiving N75,000 each this year.”
Cost Implications of the Cash Transfers
If the government follows through with this plan and makes a single N75,000 payment per household during the year, the total cost would amount to N1.125 trillion. This is a substantial sum, highlighting the financial commitment required to fulfill the promise to Nigeria’s poorest families.
The National Youth Service Corps Allowance Promise
In 2023, Ahidjo Yahaya, the NYSC Area Director for the North-East Zone, revealed that around 400,000 corps members are enrolled annually in the NYSC program. These members spend a mandatory year in the service, with each one receiving a stipend.
FIJ, considering these figures, calculated the total cost for the government to fulfill its promise of raising the NYSC allowance to N77,000 starting in July 2024. According to the calculations, paying N77,000 to the corps members would cost the government N30.8 billion per month. Over a year, this would add up to N369.6 billion.
If the government continues to pay corps members at this rate for the next three years, until the minimum wage is reviewed again, the total expenditure of N1.108 trillion would still be less than the humanitarian ministry’s planned budget for cash transfers in 2025.
Analyzing the Actual Additional Cost
Currently, corps members receive N33,000 per month, and the promised increase would add N44,000 to their monthly allowance. The additional cost for the government would then be N17.6 billion per month, or N211.2 billion annually.
While the total cost of the cash transfers for the poorest households is significantly higher, the cost of increasing the NYSC allowance is still a considerable financial burden for the government.
NYSC Allowance Delays and Concerns
In October 2024, Yushau Ahmed, the Director General of NYSC, spoke to the BBC about the delay in the payment of the promised allowance increase. He explained that the government had not yet released the funds for the increase. Ahmed clarified that the issue wasn’t exclusive to corps members, as staff members also faced delays in receiving their promised pay hikes.
“The funds have not yet been released to us, but we remain hopeful that the new pay will be implemented soon,” said the NYSC DG. “While we don’t have specific information on when the increased allowance will be paid, we’ve been assured that their monthly allowance will increase starting from July 2024.”
Uncertainty Ahead
As the delays persist, both NYSC members and the country’s poorest citizens continue to wait for the fulfillment of the government’s promises. The uncertainty over the timing of these payments raises concerns, and it remains unclear whether the government will meet its financial commitments in the near future.