Lagos pays Retirees N8bn, expands welfare for workers, pensioners

The Lagos State Government has paid a total of N8,042,264,264.91 to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and Defined Benefit Scheme as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen workers’ welfare, improve pension administration and enhance service delivery across the state public service.

The disclosure formed part of the address delivered by the Lagos State Head of Service (HOS), Mr. Bode Agoro, during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing on Monday, commemorating the seventh year in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

Agoro said the payment underscored the administration’s commitment to the welfare of serving and retired public servants, describing the public service as the engine room of governance and development in Lagos State.

He commended public servants for their dedication, resilience and professionalism in sustaining effective governance across the state.

According to him, the Office of the Head of Service recorded major milestones in staff welfare, pension administration, housing support, innovation, procurement reforms and workforce development during the period under review.

Agoro disclosed that 4,837 newly recruited officers across various cadres were uploaded into the Soft Suite database and deployed to relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, while 38 political appointees were also integrated into the system.

He added that 185 newly recruited and converted Administrative and Human Resource officers underwent familiarisation tours to core establishment ministries to strengthen their understanding of public service operations.

Agoro further revealed that Governor Sanwo-Olu approved the appointment of 25 substantive directors on Grade Level 17 as Permanent Secretaries and Tutors-General in the Lagos State Public Service.

According to him, the state government also issued 84 service-wide circulars on policy guidelines and state activities within the period under review.

On staff welfare, the Head of Service disclosed that the state government implemented the payment of N50,000 palliative to public servants in May 2026 and also approved a N32,000 monthly pension increment for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme.

He added that the Office of the Head of Service also flagged off the annual health screening exercise tagged “Public Servants, Know Your Numbers,” aimed at encouraging workers to prioritise regular health checks for improved productivity and longevity.

Agoro said the 16th edition of the Lagos State Long Service Merit Award honoured 750 public servants who had spent not less than 30 years in service, including six Permanent Secretaries and 744 officers across various cadres.

He disclosed that during the annual Public Service Week celebration, 177 outstanding officers in junior and senior categories received plaques and cash rewards, while five senior officers were presented with brand new cars.

According to him, five junior officers also received N5 million each through a transparent ballot system, while Governor Sanwo-Olu approved additional cash gifts totalling N130.5 million for other outstanding officers.

The Head of Service further disclosed that 17 retired Permanent Secretaries were celebrated during the 2025 Pens Down Ceremony in recognition of their meritorious service to Lagos State.

Agoro said the state also intensified support for retirees through quarterly training, skills acquisition programmes, health screenings and interactive sessions designed to prepare retired officers for productive post-service life.

On housing support, he revealed that the Staff Housing and Loans Board disbursed N1,595,200,000 housing loans to 2,033 beneficiaries during the review period, while Governor Sanwo-Olu also approved a N1 billion yearly car refurbishment loan facility for public servants.

He added that 422 officers benefited from the car refurbishment loan scheme, while 4,329 clearance certificates were issued to retiring staff after verification of indebtedness status.

Agoro further disclosed that the state government approved the handover of Wing A of a newly constructed housing edifice comprising two and three-bedroom flats at Isale-Gangan, Lagos Island, for allocation to public servants.

The HOS also highlighted the activities of the Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation (OTCI), which coordinated reforms that helped Lagos State achieve an 85.6 per cent score in the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business Report.

He noted that Lagos emerged as the Best Subnational for Ease of Doing Business in 2025, while the Permanent Secretary, OTCI, was recognised as the Best State Reform Champion.

According to Agoro, OTCI also trained over 876 officers under its Growth Mindset advocacy initiative and onboarded 37 new Creativity and Innovation Ambassadors across MDAs to deepen innovation and institutional reforms within the public service.

He said the annual Public Service Ideas Day Innovation Competition produced three major innovative solutions-EKOscribe, an AI-powered knowledge platform; BKind, an anti-bullying educational game; and SmartBOQ, a digital solution for managing Bills of Quantities.

Agoro also highlighted achievements recorded by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, including the processing of 6,590 approval requests through the e-procurement platform and the inspection of 252 capital projects across the state.

He disclosed that the procurement agency registered 1,791 service providers, 1,431 goods providers and 1,394 works contractors between May 2025 and April 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen transparency and ease of doing business.

Agoro reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration to improving the welfare of public servants, strengthening institutional reforms and sustaining efficient service delivery in Lagos State.