N24bn monthly salaries drive Oyo’s economic stability – Makinde

Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said his administration has ensured economic stability in the state through the monthly payment of about N24 billion in salaries to state and local government workers.

Makinde made this known on Sunday when a delegation of Muslim clerics, traditional rulers, and political officeholders visited his Ikolaba, Ibadan, residence after the Eid-el-Fitri prayers at the Agodi Eid Ground.

According to a statement by his media adviser, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the governor said his government’s commitment to economic expansion had attracted private sector investments to the state.

The governor said, “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.

“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.”

He urged residents to sustain the peace and unity in the state, noting that development thrives in a stable environment.

He stated, “Let me also use the opportunity to say one or two things. 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 was led by the Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, and included the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Senator representing Oyo South, Chief Sharafadeen Alli, former Deputy Governor and the Peoples Democratic Party Deputy National Chairman, Taofeek Arapaja, and Kamil Oloso, among others.

The governor congratulated the Muslim Ummah on witnessing the end of Ramadan and the Eid-el-Fitri 2025.

He lauded them for their prayers, patriotism and commitment to the state as well as their support for his government, noting that the economic stability and developments being witnessed in the state were a result of the peace and harmonious coexistence among residents of the state.

Makinde urged all residents to work hard to sustain the atmosphere, adding that every good thing they desire for the state is tied to the existence of peace and harmony in the state.

“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,” he added.

Delivering the message of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja, called for patience among the people of the state and urged them to remain steadfast and hopeful in the face of challenges.