The Oyo State Government has appealed to the Nigeria Union of Teachers to reconsider its ongoing industrial action and reopen public schools across the state.
The appeal followed a meeting of the State Executive Council on Wednesday and was conveyed in a statement by Dotun Oyelade, the Commissioner for Information.
The strike began after the national leadership of the NUT declared an indefinite shutdown of public schools in Oyo on May 29, demanding urgent action over the abduction of teachers and schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area by suspected bandits on May 15.
Reacting to the situation, Oyelade said the government understood the concerns that informed the union’s decision but warned that keeping schools closed for an extended period could create additional challenges.
“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,” the statement said.
As part of efforts to strengthen education in the state, the council approved N8.76 billion for the purchase of textbooks and learning materials for pupils in primary schools and students in junior secondary schools.
According to Oyelade, the approval forms part of a wider N23.012 billion education investment package.
The materials will be procured through collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission and the World Bank and will cover subjects including mathematics, English language, literacy, numeracy and basic science.
The commissioner added that the state stands to benefit from a performance-based incentive once the programme is successfully implemented.
“Upon the successful procurement and distribution of the approved textbooks, Oyo state becomes eligible for a reward-based disbursement of Two United States Dollars ($2) per student per subject, in line with the project’s results-based financing arrangement,” the statement added.
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The council also approved a revision of the 2026 budget, increasing it from N892.08 billion to N1.102 trillion to accelerate the completion of ongoing projects.
Other approvals included a $250,000 contribution to the African Continental Free Trade Area to improve the state’s participation in regional trade opportunities.
In addition, the council approved N5.91 billion for the 2026 implementation plan covering health insurance and food security initiatives under the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) programme.
Governor Seyi Makinde launched SAfER in 2023 to reduce the economic pressure created by the removal of fuel subsidy.