By GlobalHints Reporter
GlobalHints.com.ng

“After paying rent and feeding for the month, I have less than ₦2,000 left. If this is what they call ‘national service’, then we’re just surviving.”

That was Adebola, a serving corps member posted to Ibadan. Like thousands of others across Nigeria, she is expected to serve her country for one full year with very little to survive on.

Despite the recent adjustment of the NYSC corps members allowance to ₦77,000, most of Nigeria’s fresh graduates say the amount doesn’t reflect current economic realities. Rent, transportation, health, and daily living costs continue to soar, and ₦77k no longer cuts it, not even remotely.

In this special feature, GlobalHints explores the painful truths behind Nigeria’s handling of its youth corps members and why ₦77,000 is not, and never was, a salary.

1. The Economic Reality: ₦77k Can’t Pay Rent in Any Nigerian City

Whether you’re posted to Enugu, Abuja, or Kano, the cost of rent alone makes ₦77,000 look like an insult.

The National Bureau of Statistics shows that rent for a basic self-contained apartment in most cities ranges from ₦12,000 to ₦40,000 monthly.

When a corps member earns ₦77k and pays ₦30k in rent, what’s left? And we haven’t even touched transport, food, data, or health expenses.

2. Transportation Swallows Up the Rest

Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and even smaller cities like Akure or Minna are now notorious for daily transport costs.

• Intra-city transport: ₦1,000–₦1,500 per day

• Monthly total: ₦22,000–₦33,000

• Percentage of allowance gone: 40% or more 

Chisom, a corps member in Benin, says:

“By the time I go to and from my PPA for a month, I have to beg my parents for food money.”

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3. No Accommodation, No Support, PPAs Just Don’t Care

Many PPAs (Places of Primary Assignment) are either too broke or too indifferent to assist corps members.

Although some federal agencies may offer modest support or housing, the majority of corps members posted to private schools, clinics, or state ministries are left to fend for themselves.

And when they ask for stipends, many are told:

“Be grateful we’re accepting you. You’re just NYSC.”

4. Medical Bills Come Straight from Their Pocket

Despite promises of National Health Insurance coverage, many corps members say they have never been enrolled or that clinics refuse to treat them without cash.

A malaria episode can easily cost ₦3,000–₦7,000, and in many rural areas, medical access is limited.

“My NYSC ID card couldn’t even get me Panadol at a government hospital” – Musa, corps member in Niger State.

5. Many PPAs Don’t Pay a Kobo

While NYSC encourages PPAs to top up corps members’ monthly allowance, over 70% don’t. Instead, they assign full workloads,such as teaching, administrative duties, even errands without any extra support.

In fact, in some private schools, corps members are the main workforce, yet are treated like “cheap help.”

“I teach four subjects, mark scripts, and still manage the computer lab. Yet my school says they’re ‘doing me a favour'” – Seyi, serving in Ogun.

6. Rising Inflation Keeps Killing the Allowance’s Value

Nigeria’s inflation rate hit a 20-year high in 2024, and the cost of basic goods like bread, eggs, yam, garri, and tomatoes has doubled or tripled.

• In 2018, ₦33,000 bought more than ₦77,000 does today.

• ₦77k in 2025 barely covers food and rent.

According to Nairametrics, the cost of living for a single adult in Lagos is now about ₦120,000–₦180,000 monthly. That’s more than double the NYSC stipend.

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7. Side Hustles Are Not Always Feasible

While many advise corps members to “hustle on the side,” it’s not always practical:

• Rural areas have no reliable internet

• Teaching or healthcare PPAs have tight schedules

• Startup capital is often unavailable

“I wanted to start baking snacks, but I couldn’t afford ingredients. I had to abandon it,” says Kemi, serving in Kogi.

Without deliberate NYSC-supported entrepreneurship programs, side hustles remain a myth for most corps members.

8. Comparative Example: What Other African Countries Do

Ghana:

Ghanaian national service members earn over ₵715 GHS (₦95,000 equivalent), with government-supported housing and transport in some cases.

Kenya:

Kenyan youth service participants receive both stipends and skills training, often tied to post-service job placement.

Nigeria, with its larger economy, has no excuse for underfunding its national service scheme.

The current NYSC corps members allowance is barely a survival stipend, not a meaningful income. Nigerian graduates are serving their country, often in difficult and underdeveloped locations. If the government wants to retain talent, foster patriotism, and prevent brain drain, then it must start by paying corps members what they’re worth.

₦77,000 in today’s Nigeria is not a salary. It’s a cry for help.