KEY POINTS

• Oyo civil service conversion covers 654 officers across MDAs.
• Oyo civil service conversion follows acquisition of approved qualifications.
• The decision improves pay and career progression for beneficiaries.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has approved the conversion of 654 civil servants across ministries, departments and agencies, a decision that expands career progression and improves pay prospects for eligible officers within the state workforce.

The approval, announced Friday in Ibadan, applies to officers across sub-officer cadres, spanning junior to senior levels. According to the state government, the affected employees qualified for the conversion after acquiring relevant and approved academic credentials from recognised tertiary institutions.

The move comes as part of the administration’s broader effort to professionalise the civil service and reward skills development, particularly at a time of heightened cost-of-living pressures for public sector workers.

Oyo civil service conversion rewards new qualifications

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Kamoru Aderibigbe, said the beneficiaries had met all requirements for career conversion under existing service rules.

He said the approval would translate into improved remuneration while allowing officers to attain the peak of their careers within the civil service structure. According to him, the measure reinforces the state’s commitment to merit-based advancement and human capital development.

Aderibigbe urged the affected officers to treat the governor’s decision as a privilege and respond with greater dedication, diligence and professionalism in their duties. He added that the conversion process was handled in line with established procedures to ensure fairness and transparency.

Oyo civil service conversion as year-end gesture

The Civil Service Commission chairman described the approval as an unprecedented end-of-year goodwill gesture to workers in Oyo State, praising Makinde for prioritising staff welfare despite fiscal constraints facing subnational governments.

Public sector unions have repeatedly called on state governments to address stagnation in career progression, particularly for officers who invest in further education while in service. The latest conversions are likely to ease long-standing frustrations among affected cadres and strengthen morale within the bureaucracy.

Makinde’s administration has previously implemented wage adjustments, regular promotions and pension reforms as part of efforts to stabilise the state’s workforce. The latest decision, officials say, aligns with those policies by linking advancement to skills acquisition and institutional needs.

With the conversions now approved, implementation is expected to commence across affected ministries and agencies, allowing officers to transition into their new cadres in line with civil service regulations.