Oyo NLC Among Most Mature Unions In Nigeria—Oyelade

The Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade has described the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state as one of the most forward-looking and mature labour unions in recent history.

Speaking on this year’s Workers’ Day Celebration on Thursday in Ibadan, he disclosed the state pays N18 billion Salaries monthly

Oyelade, who led the management of the Mlministry to the NLC Secretariat in Ibadan for a courtesy visit held in solidarity with workers to mark the 2027 Workers’ Day Celebrations, said that as a young reporter he had the privilege of covering the landmark amalgamation of the Nigeria Labour Congress held at the Parliament Building in Ibadan in 1978 where Comrade Hassan Sunmonu was elected as the NLC President.

“In the past 48 years, I have interacted with various NLC leadership in the state, and I can boldly say that in terms of building a harmonious relationship between government and workers, particularly from 1999 till date, none has surpassed the current Labour Unions in Oyo State,” he stated.

The commissioner noted that in 2019, during his inaugural Gubernatorial address, governor Seyi Makinde pledged to ensure the prompt payment of workers’ salaries on or before the 25th of every month.

According to him, the promise was met with skepticism by many.

“However, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Oyo State Council not only believed in that promise but supported it fully. As we can see, 84 months after that audacious commitment, governor Seyi Makinde has not reneged on the promise, instead, he introduced the 13th-month salary and has increased workers’ salaries three times, even as the workforce expanded significantly due to unprecedented recruitment policy,” he said.

Oyelade revealed that with over 130,000 government workers, the Makinde administration now has the largest workforce not only in the south west but also in the South-East and South-South regions.

He added that over ₦18 billion is paid monthly as salaries to government’s workers representing an increase of over 800 percent compared to the 2019 baseline.

He also stated that the administration’s internally generated revenue (IGR) of over ₦103 billion monthly was justified by the extensive infrastructure development and strategic interventions aimed at improving citizens’ welfare.

The commissioner congratulated the Oyo State NLC on Workers’ Day and commended the Union for its sustained support for the Makinde administration.

In his remarks, the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Oyo State Council, Comrade Kayode Martins, noted that the state government under Makinde had taken deliberate steps to restore dignity to retirees through structured gratuity payments and the clearance of long-standing arrears.

According to him, the government initially increased gratuity provisions to ₦1 billion. Following a request by the union for an additional ₦500 million to raise it to ₦1.5 billion, the governor further reviewed it upward to ₦3 billion annually to ensure full settlement of outstanding obligations over time.

“The governor also promised that if by December 2026 the backlog still exists, all outstanding payments will be fully settled before May 2027,” he added.

He explained that this intervention has significantly reduced hardship among retirees, many of whom previously had to resort to legal action or endure prolonged delays before receiving their entitlements.

The NLC chairman stated that the policy had strengthened confidence among serving workers regarding the security of their benefits upon retirement.

He also commended the administration for reabsorbing previously disengaged workers, describing it as a corrective measure to addressing past injustices, as well as for approving backlog promotions, which he said has boosted morale among civil and public servants.

Martins noted that Oyo State had set a commendable benchmark by implementing a minimum wage above the Federal benchmark of ₦70,000.

“Prior to the reforms, the state ranked 32nd nationally in key indicators of workers’ welfare, but has since risen to 4th position following the implementation of the new minimum wage and related reforms,” he said.

He described the simultaneous implementation of wage increases and pension interventions as a historic milestone in labour relations within the state, noting that it has significantly improved both workers’ welfare and productivity and further reaffirmed the commitment of workers in the state to continue supporting the administration with increased dedication and service delivery.