The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, has commended the Oyo State Government for what it described as notable administrative innovations, particularly the decentralisation of Permanent Secretary appointments across the seven Local Government zones and the digitisation of administrative processes to enhance policy implementation.
The commendation came during an on-the-spot assessment visit by a NIPSS delegation to the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), where the team reviewed administrative policies, institutional structures and strategic developments within the State’s local government system.
Leading the delegation, Prof. I.D. Choji, mni, said the reforms observed at the Commission demonstrated a deliberate effort to strengthen service delivery, workforce welfare and human-capacity development.
Prof. Choji particularly noted the scale and structure of the Local Government Service Commission’s facilities, describing them as remarkable compared with what obtains in several other states.
“We have noted some of what Oyo State is doing better than others. The structures at this Local Government House are massive and hardly seen in other states. This is a sign that things are working in Oyo State,” he said.
He also commended the Commission’s regular training programmes for personnel across various cadres, noting that sustained investment in human-capacity development would contribute to improved efficiency and service delivery across the local government system.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission, Bashorun Akinwale Solomon Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, attributed the Commission’s reform trajectory to the leadership philosophy of Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde.
Akinwole said the Governor’s emphasis on creativity, transformation and institutional development had continued to influence governance across critical sectors, including infrastructure, education and healthcare.
According to him, the Commission is also preparing to deepen its human-capacity development agenda through decentralised workshops across the seven Local Government zones.
“The Governor’s Midas touch is massive and commendable. In a short while, the Commission will embark on decentralised human-capacity workshops that will cut across all LG zones in the State in order to checkmate risks and other avoidable hiccups,” Akinwole said.
The NIPSS visit further provided an opportunity for the Commission to showcase its administrative architecture and ongoing efforts to modernise the Local Government Service.
Receiving the delegation alongside the Chairman were Board Members, Alhaji Yusuf Ali Akinkunmi (Supreme) and Hon. Christianah Nike Arewa, as well as members of the Commission’s management team led by the Permanent Secretary, Pastor Adeola Omoyeni Oduola.
Others included the Acting Head of Local Government Administration, Mr. Adedayo Faith Solaja; Director of Finance and Supplies, Alhaji Gbola Badiru Adedokun; Director of Budget, Planning, Research and Statistics, Prince Rasheed Olabiyi; Director of Education and Social Services, Mrs. Funke Foluso Lala; Internal Auditor, Alhaja Modinat Adeleke; and Deputy Director, Administration and General Services, Alhaji Olalekan Jelili Alade.
Members of the NIPSS delegation accompanying Prof. Choji included Dr. Yomi Charles, Mr. Rotimi Mustapha, Hajia Hadiza Ibrahim and Mrs. Ademola Adenike.
The assessment visit positions the Oyo LGSC reforms as a subject of institutional interest, particularly in the areas of decentralised administration, digital governance, workforce development and strategic policy implementation.
