Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has approved a new minimum wage of N80,000 for state workers. 

The announcement was made on Wednesday by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade.

According to Oyelade, this wage adjustment follows recommendations from a technical committee made up of government officials and labour representatives.

“This new scale will be implemented as soon as the consequential adjustments process is completed by the committee which comprises of Government and Labour top officials,” he assured.

Oyelade highlighted Oyo State’s reputation for being worker-friendly, noting that the National Bureau of Statistics recently recognized Oyo as the most worker-friendly state in Southern Nigeria. The distinction, he said, comes as a result of the state’s significant reduction in unemployment through extensive hiring in education, healthcare, and other sectors.

The commissioner further revealed that Governor Makinde has been consistently committed to the welfare of workers. According to him, since he assumed office in 2019, the governor has promptly paid salaries by the 25th of each month. In addition to timely salary payments, Oyelade revealed that Makinde introduced the previous minimum wage of N30,000 soon after he took office. He also ensured regular pension payments, gratuities, and even a 13th-month bonus for both workers and retirees.

Further to that, in response to economic challenges, especially the strain caused by the federal government’s removal of the fuel subsidy, Makinde is said to have introduced a monthly welfare supplement in November 2023. This includes an additional N25,000 for active workers and N15,000 for pensioners.