Perhaps in line with the recent increment of the National Minimum Wage from N30,000 to N70,000, the Federal Government has also moved up the monthly allowance of members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, from N30,000 to N77,000.

While this might provide some relief for participants already on the miserly N30,000 monthly dole, it is still far below what a graduate of tertiary education should be paid while undergoing the compulsory one-year national service. N77,000 is neither a befitting nor living allowance, given the fact that cost of living has more than tripled since President Bola Tinubu introduced a set of draconian economic policies 16 months ago.

Many of these young graduates are posted to states far away from their parental homes. At the early years of the scheme which started on May 22, 1973, Nigeria was still a relatively prosperous and peaceful country with a lower population and greater need for graduate manpower. Corps members were not only welcomed with open arms, they were also provided with extra income and comfort in their primary places of assignment. Many of them were offered employment after service.

But today, the situation has changed in many regrettable ways. Many of today’s corps members are very poorly educated and unemployable. Corps members are now regularly rejected. The insecurity that sweeps across Nigeria has turned corps members into juicy targets for abduction by bandits, kidnappers and terrorists.

In view of these stark realities, there have been calls for the rethinking of this scheme and the need to prioritise the safety and welfare of the participants above all other considerations. Some have suggested that the objectives of the scheme be tweaked and the compulsory participation suspended until insecurity is eradicated. Some have also advocated suspension of the scheme in terrorism, banditry and kidnapping-endemic states.

Another issue that we believe must be immediately looked into is the area of monthly allowance. The N77,000, in our view, is too paltry to sustain a graduate for a month. It cannot provide three square meals, house rent, transportation and personal upkeep under the current cost of living situation.

It is highly incongruous and unacceptable that a tertiary institution graduate will be paid what amounts to the minimum wage which is the entry-point remuneration for the lowest, unskilled worker.

We believe a corps member should be entitled to not less than N120,000 to N150,000 monthly. In addition to the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, which has been rightfully extended to corps members, they should be given other forms of insurance such as accident and life. All participants should also be given the opportunity to undergo residual capacity enhancement drills, such as digital and entrepreneurial skills, to make them more employable after service.

The NYSC must add value to corps members.