WTD: Oyebanji Okays Payment of Teachers’ Bonuses, New Retirement Age

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Sunday, assured teachers in the state of his administration’s commitment to making their welfare and needs a top priority.

Oyebanji spoke in his address during the 2025 World Teachers Day celebration with the theme, ‘Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession’, where he responded to the requests by the Nigeria Union of Teachers State Chairman, Egbeyemi Adedeji, on outstanding leave bonuses and other sundry issues.

The governor said, “2019 (leave bonus for secondary school teachers) was paid on Saturday, and you will start receiving the alert as of Monday. Let me be explicit on the issue of leave bonus. I assure you that we will try as much as possible to ensure that we pay all outstanding leave bonuses as soon as practicable.

“I have heard your yearning with respect to the mandatory age for retirement. This has been approved and recommended, but for able and willing teachers. So, on the mandatory age, your request has been approved for teachers who want to extend. If there is any teacher who wants to leave, you are free to leave,” the governor said, assuring that he expected the committee on the subject matter to come forward with its recommendations as soon as possible.

He also assured that he would approve the upward review of allowance for science teachers in the week consequent upon the review which had been carried out by the Head of Service.

To celebrate them on the occasion, Oyebanji splashed mouth-watering cash rewards on outstanding teachers under various categories in the public primary schools, public secondary schools, private primary schools and private secondary schools.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, who said the benefitting teachers were rewarded for their impactful service delivery, said, “We enjoin the winners that their recognition should motivate them to do more. Others with consolation prizes should aspire to get better.

“Aside the awards of today, His Excellency had approved funds for all other best teachers at the Local Government and school levels”, she said.

The commissioner lauded Oyebanji for ensuring “regular capacity building of teachers, especially in the acquisition of digital skills, to boost their confidence. They are now adequately equipped for the dynamics of teaching in the 21st century.

“The governor has also embarked on transforming our classrooms into smart classrooms. All our public secondary schools in Ekiti have ICT laboratories with interactive boards,” among other achievements, Aderiye said. Related News

The NUT State Chairman, Adedeji, who appreciated the governor for his positive impacts on teachers, had requested immediate implementation of Harmonised Retirement Age, saying, “This policy would allow teachers to retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of service, whichever comes first”.

The NUT chairman also requested payment of outstanding leave bonus, saying, “We appreciate the state government’s prompt payment of salaries in Ekiti State. However, we kindly appeal to Your Excellency to approve the payment of outstanding leave bonuses for secondary school teachers for the years 2019 to 2025 and for primary school teachers for the year 2020 to 2025 without further delay”.

The NUT, while also requesting prompt payment of arrears of gratuity and pension to retired teachers, said, “We appreciate Your Excellency for allocating additional funds for the payment of pensions and gratuities in Ekiti State.

“However, we earnestly implore the state government to prioritise the prompt settlement of outstanding gratuity and pension arrears owed to retired teachers in Ekiti State, to enhance their quality of life and well-being”.

Among others, NUT requested payment of relevant allowances to teachers, including upward review of science Allowance to teachers, saying, “This needs to be upwardly reviewed. We appeal to Your Excellency to fulfil your promise and to defray other relevant allowances to teachers.”

PUNCH Online reports that in September 2025, Oyebanji began considering raising the mandatory retirement age for teachers to 65 years to improve welfare and provide better benefits.