Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has appealed to the Nigeria Union of Teachers to suspend its ongoing strike and reopen public schools across the state, assuring residents that government is intensifying efforts to secure the release of abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
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The appeal came as the Oyo State Executive Council approved ₦8.77 billion as the first tranche of funding for the procurement of teaching and learning materials for public primary and junior secondary schools across the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement issued after the State Executive Council meeting.
The NUT had shut public schools across Oyo State in protest against worsening insecurity following the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15.
The affected schools include Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School in Esiele.
The victims have reportedly spent over 40 days in captivity, a development that has heightened anxiety among parents, teachers, education stakeholders and residents of the state.
Oyelade said the government understood the concerns of teachers but warned that prolonged closure of schools could create unintended social and economic consequences.
“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,” he said.
He added that the Makinde administration was taking strategic steps to secure the release of the abducted victims and strengthen security in affected communities.
The teachers’ strike followed nationwide protests by the NUT over the abduction, with the union directing teachers in Oyo public schools to stay away from classrooms until adequate measures are put in place to guarantee the safety of teachers and pupils.
The union maintained on Tuesday that public schools in the state would remain closed until the government provides concrete security assurances.
The closure has affected thousands of pupils and disrupted academic activities in the final weeks of the school term.
The Secretary of the NUT in the state, Olukayode Salam, said teachers had also suffered casualties in the attacks.
“As much as we have casualties among learners in terms of abduction, we have higher casualties among teachers because two of them were killed,” he said.
Amid the security concerns, the State Executive Council approved the release of ₦8.77 billion for the procurement of teaching and learning materials.
According to Oyelade, the approval forms part of a broader ₦23 billion education intervention project targeting public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
He said the materials to be procured include textbooks in literacy, numeracy, mathematics, English language and basic science.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission and the World Bank under a results-based financing arrangement.
Oyelade explained that successful procurement and distribution of the textbooks would make Oyo State eligible for additional reward-based disbursement.
“Upon the successful procurement and distribution of the approved textbooks, Oyo State becomes eligible for a reward-based disbursement of two United States dollars per student per subject,” he said.
The Executive Council also approved a supplementary budget, raising the state’s 2026 appropriation from ₦892.1 billion to ₦1.1 trillion.
According to the council, the upward review became necessary following requests from Ministries, Departments and Agencies for additional funding to complete ongoing projects before the end of the administration’s tenure.
The council further approved ₦5.9 billion for the continuation of the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery initiative.
The SAfER programme was introduced by the Makinde administration in 2023 to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal through transportation support, food assistance, healthcare coverage and business grants.
In addition, the council approved the payment of $250,000 to support the implementation of programmes under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Oyelade said the AfCFTA-related support would help attract investment and expand trade opportunities for businesses in Oyo State.
The government’s appeal to teachers comes amid mounting pressure over the abduction of pupils and teachers, with residents demanding stronger security measures to protect schools and communities across the state.
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