The Oyo State Government has provided its scorecard on the significant strides made by local government councils and civil service institutions in the last two years under the second term of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde.
At the ongoing Omituntun 2.0 Inter-Ministerial Briefing held at the Governor’s Briefing Room, two key commissioners—Hon. Ademola Ojo (Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters) and Prof. Salihu AbdulWaheed Adelabu (Establishments and Training), outlined the administration’s achievements in infrastructure, education, welfare, and human capital development.
Hon. Ademola Ojo, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, in his address, dismissed the widespread perception that councils in the state have underperformed. According to him, local governments have executed numerous landmark projects in collaboration with the state government.
“The local governments in Oyo State have recorded a lot of achievements, but many people misconstrue the councils’ efforts because project executions are often joint between the state and councils,” Ojo said.
He cited key infrastructure delivered by the councils, including reconstruction of Olodo Bridge (Egbeda LGA), construction of a Farmers’ Market (Akinyele LGA), ongoing upgrading of 66 Primary Health Centres, rehabilitation of Eruwa-Maya Road (14km), limited works on the 62km Igboora–Igangan–Iganna Road, construction of PHCs at Tech-U and LAUTECH, Iseyin, and asphalt roads in Alarere (Egbeda LGA) among others.
He added that the State-Local Government Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) plays a central role in project funding, with the governor as chair, ensuring transparency and due process.
Ojo revealed that each of the 33 local governments annually sponsor 6 students to Senator Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, 5 students to Nursing and Midwifery programmes, 2 students to technical colleges, and 5 youths under the Youth Entrepreneurs in Agribusiness Programme (YEAP),
“If you quantify it, we are sponsoring 13 students from each local government per year. That’s a significant investment in education and future capacity,” he said.
He added that youth from all LGAs are undergoing agribusiness training in Nasarawa and the School of Forestry, thereby, contributing to the state’s long-term agricultural goals.
Ojo also emphasised the Ministry’s role in coordinating traditional leadership transitions, noting the recent coronation of several monarchs including the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Alaafin of Oyo, and Soun of Ogbomoso, among others.
“This shows Governor Makinde’s strong support for the traditional institution, which contributes to stability and peace at the grassroots level,” he added.
On his part, Professor Salihu AbdulWaheed Adelabu, Commissioner for Establishments and Training, noted that the Makinde-led administration has redefined civil service management with a focus on professionalism, efficiency, and staff welfare.
Adelabu disclosed that monthly gratuity payments increased from ₦206 million in 2019 to ₦1 billion in May 2025 while over ₦13 billion has been paid in gratuities since May 2019, benefiting 7,250 retirees noting that both mainstream civil servants and local government retirees have been covered.
“We are committed to clearing all pension debts before the end of this administration in 2027,” he assured.
To promote capacity building, the commissioner said the Ministry has trained 32 Pension Desk Officers in 2023, conducted promotion exams for 82 officers in 2024, transitioned to electronic payment systems, abolished the ₦4,000 retirement form fee, and also
commenced digitisation of retirement documentation.
Speaking further, the commissioner disclosed that the state has adopted the ISO management model to enhance work processes and is therefore, developing a database to identify workforce training needs.
He also explained that the present administration has implemented several reforms including re-designating Information Officers as Information and Public Relations Officers, changing Environmental Health Superintendent to Environmental Health Technologist, introducing homegrown schemes of service to allow progression to Grade Level 17 for primary school teachers, and recruiting junior staff across MDAs in roles such as Agricultural Technologists, Technical Officers, Library Assistants, and Watchmen.
“Our recruitment efforts ensure a steady inflow of talent into the public service while maintaining institutional knowledge through proper succession planning,” Adelabu stated.
Prof Adelabu said the Ministry has also maintained industrial peace through engagements with labour unions, transparent handling of grievances, as well as prompt disbursement of salaries and leave bonuses.
Between May 2023 and May 2025, staff salaries paid according to the commissioner totaled ₦340 million in addition to leave bonuses disbursed which totaled over ₦11.3 million.
“The administration appreciates the cooperation of labour unions and urges continued dialogue as the political season approaches,” Adelabu concluded.