Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to economic stability by ensuring the monthly payment of approximately N24 billion in salaries to state and local government workers.
Makinde made this statement on Sunday when a delegation of Muslim clerics, traditional rulers, and political officeholders visited his residence at Ikolaba, Ibadan, after the Eid-el-Fitr prayers at the Agodi Eid Ground. The governor’s media adviser, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, issued a statement highlighting Makinde’s remarks on the state’s economic growth and stability.
According to Makinde, his administration’s dedication to economic expansion has attracted significant private sector investments to Oyo State.
He explained, “My prayer has always been that this state will never go back to those periods because if we have patience, all the things we want will be achieved. One of those things we desire is economic stability in our state. Now, every four weeks, N24 billion gets into the economy of Oyo State through workers’ salaries. The wage bill of the state is now around N14 billion, while that of the local government is about N10 billion.”
The governor also pointed out that increased private sector investment has boosted the state’s economy. He stated, “Similarly, on the private sector side, a lot of people are now comfortable coming and investing in this state, and we have seen quite a lot of investments. Yesterday, we were at the Ijaiye Farm Settlement because of the Farmers’ Wholesale Market that is coming in there. I went there to inspect the place, and you will be surprised that in that settlement, we have 27,000 hectares of land. We have asked them to carve out just 3,000 hectares out of the 27,000 for that project.”
Governor Makinde also emphasized the importance of peace and unity for development, urging residents to maintain harmony in the state. He said, “When we cast our minds back to 2007, a lot of things have happened since then. We can all see here how our people from different political parties went for the prayer at the Eid Ground, and everyone came together and came to greet me as the governor. We used to have the opposite of this in this state back then. You would hear people say before Eid that this one should not come and that one should not come. We passed through those periods and we saw the result and effects and we can compare them with what is obtained now. When we have an atmosphere of unity and live in peace with ourselves, there will be development and progress. That is what we are witnessing in the state today.”
The delegation, led by the Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, also included notable figures such as the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja; Senator representing Oyo South, Chief Sharafadeen Alli; former Deputy Governor and Peoples Democratic Party Deputy National Chairman, Taofeek Arapaja; and Kamil Oloso.
Governor Makinde congratulated the Muslim community on the successful completion of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr 2025. He commended them for their prayers, patriotism, commitment to the state, and support for his administration, noting that the ongoing economic stability and development are outcomes of the peaceful coexistence among the state’s residents.
He called on political officeholders across the country to strive for positive change despite challenges, saying, “Let me also say this: political office holders across the country should do their best to improve things because it has been a difficult and challenging period for the people, but as they say, tough times don’t last, only tough people do.”
Delivering the message from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja, encouraged the people of Oyo State to remain patient, steadfast, and hopeful in the face of prevailing challenges.
