In a recent announcement that sparked both celebration and skepticism across Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress (APC) proudly credited President Bola Tinubu for the long-overdue increase in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) monthly allowance, which rose from N33,000 to N77,000, effective March 2025. The APC’s post on X, shared on March 26, 2025, at 14:44 UTC, hailed the increment as a victory for the administration, with the party stating, “NYSC N77,000 don enter 🥳 Thank you, President Bola Tinubu @officialABAT.” However, many Nigerians, particularly NYSC corps members and social media users, are pointing to a different hero in this story: an individual known as Raye, whose grassroots advocacy through the #30dayrantchallenge is widely believed to have pressured the government into action. Despite the increase, the new allowance—equivalent to roughly $40 a month—remains far below a decent living wage in Nigeria’s current economic climate, leaving many to question the government’s commitment to the welfare of its youth.
The APC’s celebratory post was met with a mixed response. While some corps members expressed gratitude for the increase, others were quick to highlight the government’s delayed implementation and the inadequacy of the new amount. The allowance hike was first approved in September 2024, following the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, which mandated a minimum wage of N70,000 for low-ranking workers. According to a BBC News Pidgin report from September 26, 2024, the NYSC confirmed that the new payment would be backdated to July 2024. However, it wasn’t until March 2025 that some corps members began receiving the updated N77,000, as evidenced by bank alerts shared on X, such as the one posted by @Miles_Dike, which still showed a payment of N33,000 for March 2025.