Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has approved a new minimum wage of ₦80,000 for the state’s workforce, marking a significant increase in workers’ pay. The announcement was made by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, who confirmed that a Technical Committee had reviewed and recommended the adjustment, which Makinde promptly approved. This new wage scale will take effect once the committee, consisting of government and labor representatives, finalizes the necessary consequential adjustments.
Oyelade highlighted Oyo State’s reputation as a worker-friendly state, recently acknowledged by the National Bureau of Statistics as having the lowest unemployment rate in Southern Nigeria due to robust job creation across various sectors. Since taking office in 2019, Makinde has consistently prioritized timely salary payments, disbursing wages on the 25th of each month and implementing the ₦30,000 minimum wage from the start of his tenure.
The Makinde administration has introduced several welfare initiatives to support workers and pensioners, including a ₦25,000 monthly welfare award for employees and ₦15,000 for pensioners. These allowances, introduced in response to the Federal Government’s fuel subsidy removal, have been consistently paid for over a year to help offset the increased cost of living.
The governor has also made significant strides in addressing outstanding pension obligations. Oyelade noted that the administration has cleared gratuity arrears dating back to 2008-2015 and increased gratuity payments for pensioners under both the Local Government Staff Pensions Board and the Ministry of Establishment and Training. Additionally, pensioners removed from the payroll by the previous administration have been reinstated, and the governor continues to honor an annual Christmas and New Year “chicken bonus” for pensioners.
Makinde’s commitment to worker welfare and consistent support for both active employees and retirees has underscored his administration’s priority on maintaining a fair and supportive environment for the state workforce.
