Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has approved a new minimum wage of ₦80,000 for state workers.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Dotun Oyelade, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation.
According to Oyelade, the wage increase comes following recommendations from a Technical Committee established by the state government.
The committee, composed of government officials and labor representatives gained Governor Makinde’s approval to implement the new salary scale once all consequential adjustments are completed.
Highlighting the state’s recent achievements, Oyelade noted that Oyo was recognised as the most worker-friendly state in Southern Nigeria.
This rating, provided by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its latest employment statistics for 2024, he said was attributed to the state’s significant reduction in unemployment through robust hiring initiatives across various sectors.
Further emphasising Oyo’s commitment to its workforce, Oyelade stated that under Governor Makinde’s leadership since 2019, the state has consistently paid workers’ salaries by the 25th of each month.
He added that Makinde introduced the previous ₦30,000 minimum wage and ensured regular payment of pensions, gratuities, and a 13th-month salary for both workers and retirees.
Oyelade also recalled that in November 2023, the governor initiated a welfare wage award of ₦25,000 for workers and ₦15,000 for pensioners to ease the impact of the federal fuel subsidy removal.
This additional payment Oyelade noted has been consistently maintained for over a year.
Additionally, he said the Makinde administration has made substantial progress in clearing outstanding pensions.
The Commissioner added that the governor has paid the backlog of gratuities owed to pensioners from 2008-2015, increasing payments for those under both the Local Government Staff Pensions Board and the Ministry of Establishment and Training.
Furthermore, he said pensioners previously removed from the payroll by the prior administration have been reinstated, with all retirees receiving an annual Christmas/New Year Chicken Bonus.
