By Kazeem Ugbodaga
A storm of controversy is swirling around the Lagos State civil service as startling revelations emerge that nearly one-third of civil servants sent abroad for training by the government have refused to return.
The shocking disclosure came from the Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo, during a press briefing on Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
In a moment of rare candour, Ayantayo admitted that the state’s efforts to boost human capital through international training programmes have been significantly undermined by the growing “Japa syndrome”—a slang for brain drain or emigration.
“When asked how many staff returned home from such training,” Ayantayo said grimly, “while 70% returned, 30% failed to come back.”
The Commissioner painted a picture of the state’s commitment to capacity development, saying: “A total of 23,420 staff members benefitted from various training interventions between May 2022 and December 2024.
Within the same period, over 185 training programmes were organised which cut across multiple cadres, skill levels and thematic areas relevant to public sector efficiency, leadership development and regulatory compliance.”
But despite this enormous investment, the troubling figure of a 30% non-return rate has thrown a wrench into the government’s talent development strategy, sparking questions about monitoring, accountability, and retention.
Ayantayo also revealed that the state has granted study leave to about 8,000 civil servants in the last three years across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to upgrade their qualifications and skills.
Meanwhile, he reeled out some of the ministry’s achievements, including Governor Sanwo-Olu’s approval of a N35,000 wage increase for workers — a move aimed at cushioning the effects of economic hardship.
In the health sector, Ayantayo listed a number of fiscal interventions aimed at boosting morale and performance. These include the payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), Rural Allowance for Primary Healthcare Workers, and bonuses and wage awards for staff of the Lagos State College of Medicine.
But when it came to the politically sensitive question of severance packages for outgoing political appointees, the Commissioner remained tight-lipped.
He “was, however, silent on the amount of severance allowance the state government paid to political office holders whose tenure have expired.”
With a staggering number of public servants vanishing into foreign lands after state-sponsored trips, the question now is: how will the Lagos government plug this costly and embarrassing drain?
