From Stipend to Survival: The Growing Outcry for Increased NYSC Allowance in the Face of Inflation
Author: Precious Oladimeji
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The youth are not only the hope of our future, but they are the foundation of our nation.” But what happens when the leaders of tomorrow are too hungry to even think about leading?
Nigerian corp members have been hoping and looking to the government for an increase in their allowance. This call for an increment grew louder as the spike in the cost of living took a harsh turn and is now more urgent than ever with the approval of the ₦70,000 minimum wage, an increase that excludes Nigerian Corp Members, leaving them to continue to get by on their monthly stipend of ₦33,000.
The Current Economic Situation
According to the National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) Selected Food Price Watch report, the average price of 1 kg of rice increased to ₦1,399 in April 2024, a stark difference from ₦546.76, which was the price of 1 kg of rice in April 2023. The same goes for the price of beans, which, according to the NBS report, increased by 14.11 percent in June 2024 from its May price of ₦2,009.23.
Not only food but almost every basic amenity has seen an almost dramatic spike in price. For a country where 133 million people are already living in abject poverty, this is a heartbreaking development that shows no sign of improving anytime soon.
One of the most affected individuals is the serving youth who rely solely on the NYSC monthly stipend.
The NYSC Monthly Allowance
In December 2020, when the NYSC stipend was increased from ₦19,800 to ₦33,000, the cost of 1 kg of beans was ₦309.07—a staggering difference from its 2024 price of ₦2,292.76.
While the allowance remains the same, the cost of living has skyrocketed. It is without a doubt that what a Corp Member who served in 2020 could do with their allowance, a Corp Member currently serving in 2024 cannot do even half of that.
The Current Situation of Nigerian Corp Members in the Harsh Economy
The more the cost of living rises, the more insufficient the monthly wage becomes. The demands of the concerned parties for the government to increase this wage seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
The minimum wage was recently increased from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000. Surprisingly, this new development did not extend to Nigerian Corp members, who had begun rejoicing and spreading the news of the increase in allowance.
Hence, the corp members continue to bear the crushing weight of all-time high expenses currently plaguing the whole of the country, all on their meager N33000 allowance.
The Call for Change
Corp Members have been calling for an increase in their allowance for a while now, and while there have been promises from the government to look into it, the necessary steps have yet to be taken, and inflation continues to rise.
But should this be happening when youth are, in fact, the backbone of any country that desires success?
A youth who is serving their fatherland shouldn’t be made to starve. This is, in fact, the time when said youth is supposed to enjoy the most. After all, they are leaving everything behind to obey the clarion call.
Hence, a nation that wants to grow should give its youth the utmost priority, because in them lies the power, energy, and resources to bring growth, development, and innovation to the nation.
In conclusion, Nigeria can become a great country only if it tends well to the needs of its youth because, as Nelson Mandela once said, “the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”