Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has urged the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to suspend its ongoing strike and reopen public schools shut in protest over the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oriire Local Government Area, assuring residents that efforts are being intensified to secure the victims’ release.
The appeal came as the State Executive Council approved N8.6 billion for the procurement of teaching and learning materials and increased the 2026 budget to N1.1 trillion to accelerate development projects across the state.
Makinde’s appeal was contained in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, after the Executive Council meeting.
“While the reasons for the withdrawal of the students from school by the NUT are understandable, the collateral implications, both social and economic, are raising unintended concerns and should equally be considered by the NUT,” Oyelade said.
The council reassured residents that the government is taking strategic measures to ensure that the kidnapping incident in the Oriire Local Government Area is resolved as soon as possible.
During the meeting, the Council approved the release of N8.768 billion in the first instance for the procurement of teaching and learning materials for primary and junior secondary schools across the state. The total cost of the project stood at N23.012 billion.
In line with the requirements of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abuja, in collaboration with the World Bank, the textbooks to be procured will cover numeracy, literacy, mathematics, English language and basic science.
The Commissioner said: “Upon the successful procurement and distribution of the approved textbooks, Oyo State becomes eligible for a reward-based disbursement of two United States dollars (US$2) per student per subject, in line with the project’s results-based financing arrangement.”
The Council also approved the realignment and supplementary budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
Prince Oyelade explained that, in order to fulfil the aspirations of the present administration and its determination to ensure that all ongoing projects across the state are completed before the end of its tenure, several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) requested upward budget reviews.
Consequently, the Council approved an increase in the 2026 budget from N892.085 billion to ₦1.102 trillion.
The Commissioner further disclosed that the Council was briefed on the need to approve the execution of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)-related implementation programmes being undertaken by the Office of the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat in collaboration with the Oyo State AfCFTA office.
