Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, announced on Saturday that his administration is set to begin the payment of a N70,000 minimum wage to workers, pending the conclusion of negotiations on consequential salary adjustments.
This was revealed in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, in Ibadan.
Governor Makinde also extended the N25,000 wage award to state workers and N15,000 to pensioners for another three months. He explained that this extension would cover the period required for negotiations on the consequential adjustment, emphasizing that once the new minimum wage structure is implemented, the wage award payments will cease.
“Negotiations on the consequential adjustment will begin next week, and we will fully implement the N70,000 minimum wage,” Makinde said. “Our team and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will sit down to finalize the details.”
The governor praised the teachers in the state for their immense contributions to the education sector and for their strong support during the last election. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritizing the welfare of teachers and all civil servants, ensuring they remain productive.
“Teachers are crucial to our future, and we will continue to take special care of them. We recognize their dedication, and our government will ensure they are placed where they belong,” Makinde added.
He further highlighted education as one of the key pillars of his administration, promising significant investments to improve educational infrastructure across the state. The governor acknowledged the existing funding gap in the sector and revealed plans to address it.
“When we took office, we allocated about N3 billion yearly through the UBEC grant and matching funds for educational infrastructure, spending around N15 billion over the past five years. However, this is just a drop in the ocean. The infrastructure gap in our schools is now estimated at N70 billion,” he explained.
To close this gap, Makinde announced that his administration would set aside a minimum of N10 billion annually towards improving educational infrastructure. He also promised to employ more teachers and create a conducive learning environment to guarantee better outcomes for students.
Watch the video below;
https://x.com/Oyoaffairs/status/1842595548320440709?t=aw9vhjw9b3nRuIyYG6iVtw&s=19
While commissioning a newly built block of 10 classrooms at the NUT Model School in Ibadan, Governor Makinde also reassured residents of his administration’s commitment to fixing inner roads across the state, including those within the Owode Housing Estate.
In his remarks, the Oyo State NUT Chairman, Raji Ismail, expressed gratitude to the governor for his remarkable achievements in the education sector and his dedication to teachers’ welfare. He commended Makinde’s efforts in ensuring career progression for primary school teachers, timely salary payments, promotions, leave bonuses, and healthcare insurance for state workers.
Governor Makinde’s continued efforts to improve the education system and the well-being of state workers further cement his administration’s commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the state amid ongoing national economic issues.
