The Oyo State Government has appealed to the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to suspend its ongoing strike and allow students to return to classrooms.
Dotun Oyelade, commissioner for information, said in a statement that the appeal followed a meeting of the state executive council on Wednesday.
The national leadership of the NUT had on May 29 declared an indefinite strike in Oyo State, demanding the urgent rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire LGA by suspected bandits on May 15.
Oyelade said the council acknowledged the concerns behind the industrial action but warned that the prolonged disruption of academic activities could trigger wider 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,” the statement reads.
According to the commissioner, the council also approved ₦8.76 billion for the procurement of textbooks and instructional materials for primary and junior secondary schools across the state.
He said the approved sum is part of a broader ₦23.012 billion intervention in the education sector.
The materials will be supplied under a framework involving the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the World Bank, covering core subjects such as mathematics, English language, literacy, numeracy and basic science.
The government noted that successful execution of the project would also attract performance-based funding.
“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 said.
Oyelade added that the council approved an upward review of the 2026 budget, increasing it from ₦892.08 billion to ₦1.102 trillion to support the completion of ongoing projects across the state.
Other approvals include a $250,000 payment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to improve the state’s access to continental trade opportunities.
The council also approved ₦5.91 billion for the 2026 work plan of the Health Insurance and Food Security components of the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) programme.
The statement noted that Seyi Makinde established SAfER in 2023 to cushion the economic impact of the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.