In a bold move supporting workers amid rising economic challenges, the Oyo State Government has approved a minimum wage increase to N80,000 for all state employees. The decision, announced in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, follows recommendations from a technical committee established to review worker compensation. Governor Seyi Makinde formally approved the recommendation, with implementation pending the finalisation of consequential adjustments by government and labour representatives.
Oyelade highlighted the administration’s sustained commitment to workers’ welfare, noting that Oyo State was recently ranked the most worker-friendly state in southern Nigeria by the National Bureau of Statistics. This rating, he stated, reflects the state’s success in reducing unemployment through expanded hiring across public sectors.
Since taking office in 2019, Makinde has maintained a timely payroll, ensuring that salaries are disbursed on the 25th of each month, alongside consistent pension and gratuity payments. Under his administration, workers and pensioners alike have benefited from the initial minimum wage of N30,000, paid since his term began, as well as a welfare award to mitigate the impact of subsidy cuts. Since November 2023, the state has paid an additional N25,000 per month to its workforce and N15,000 to pensioners.
Makinde’s administration has also prioritised addressing longstanding pension backlogs, clearing arrears from 2008 to 2015, and increasing gratuity payments for retirees across state departments. Notably, those removed from the payroll by the previous administration have been reinstated, with annual holiday bonuses extended to all pensioners as a gesture of support.
The Oyo State Government’s new wage policy not only raises the bar for state worker compensation in Nigeria but underscores a progressive approach to public sector welfare, marking it as a model of robust worker support amid national economic strain.
