In a landmark move, Governor Seyi Makinde has approved a new minimum wage of ₦80,000 for Oyo State employees, demonstrating his administration’s ongoing commitment to worker welfare and reinforcing Oyo’s recent top worker-friendly rating by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
According to a statement by Prince Dotun Oyelade, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, the decision follows recommendations from a dedicated Technical Committee that included both government and labor representatives. Once the necessary consequential adjustments are completed, the new wage will take effect, providing significant financial relief to the state’s workforce.
Oyelade highlighted that Oyo’s employment-friendly initiatives recently earned it the title of the most worker-friendly state in Southern Nigeria from the NBS, a recognition attributed to a substantial decline in unemployment rates through consistent job creation efforts under Makinde’s administration. Since taking office in 2019, the Governor has ensured timely salary payments on the 25th of each month, in addition to implementing a ₦30,000 minimum wage early in his tenure, alongside regular pensions, gratuities, and a 13th-month salary bonus for both employees and retirees.
Furthermore, since November 2023, the state government has provided a monthly welfare wage of ₦25,000 for workers and ₦15,000 for pensioners, a measure aimed at mitigating the impact of federal fuel subsidy removal. This bonus has been maintained for over a year, underscoring the administration’s dedication to its workforce.
The Commissioner also noted that Makinde’s administration has tackled long-standing issues affecting pensioners, clearing gratuity backlogs from 2008-2015 and increasing gratuity payments for retired local government employees and those under the Ministry of Establishment and Training. Additionally, pensioners removed from the payroll by the previous administration have been reinstated, and the state has continued the tradition of an annual Christmas/New Year chicken bonus for retirees.
This latest salary adjustment not only strengthens the state’s labor policies but also enhances Governor Makinde’s standing as an advocate for workers and pensioners alike, with Oyo setting a benchmark for labor-friendly governance in Nigeria.
