The Lagos State Government has disbursed more than ₦8.04 billion to retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme and the Defined Benefit Scheme as part of broader efforts to strengthen workers’ welfare and improve public service delivery.
The Head of Service, Bode Agoro, disclosed this on Monday during the 2026 Lagos State Ministerial Press Briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, to commemorate the third year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
Agoro said the payments demonstrated the administration’s commitment to both serving and retired workers, adding that a total of ₦8,042,264,264.91 had been released.
He described the Lagos public service as the “engine room” of governance and said the disbursement was intended to provide greater support for retirees after years of service.
“The payment of over eight billion naira to retirees demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Sanwo-Olu administration to workers’ welfare,” Agoro said.
He added that workforce dedication and ongoing reforms continued to support effective governance and service delivery across the state.
Agoro also revealed that 4,837 newly recruited officers had been deployed across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), with their records uploaded onto the Soft Suite database. In addition, 38 political appointees were captured in the system.
He further disclosed that 185 newly appointed and converted administrative and human resource officers participated in familiarisation tours aimed at deepening their understanding of government operations and public sector administration.
On leadership appointments, Agoro said 25 substantive directors had been elevated to Grade Level 17 as permanent secretaries and tutors-general following the governor’s approval.
As part of the government’s welfare initiatives, he said each state worker received a ₦50,000 palliative in May, while pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme benefited from a ₦32,000 monthly pension increase.
He also announced the launch of a health initiative tagged “Public Servants, Know Your Numbers”, designed to encourage regular medical checks and improve workforce wellbeing.
Agoro stated that 750 public servants were recognised during the 16th Long Service Merit Award for completing at least 30 years in service. He added that 177 outstanding officers received honours during Public Service Week, including cash rewards and five brand-new vehicles for senior officers.
According to him, five junior officers also won ₦5 million each through a ballot system, alongside additional cash gifts totalling ₦130.5 million approved by Governor Sanwo-Olu.
He further disclosed that 17 retired permanent secretaries were celebrated during the 2025 Pens Down Ceremony, while retirees continued to benefit from training programmes, medical checks, and skills acquisition initiatives to support life after retirement.
On housing support, Agoro said the Lagos State Staff Housing and Loans Board disbursed ₦1.59 billion in housing loans to 2,033 workers.
He added that the state introduced a ₦1 billion annual vehicle refurbishment loan scheme, which benefited 422 officers, while Wing A of the newly completed housing units at Isale-Gangan, Lagos Island, had been approved for allocation to public servants.
Highlighting institutional reforms, Agoro said the Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation contributed to Lagos achieving an 85.6 per cent score in the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business ranking, where the state emerged overall best performer.
He added that more than 876 officers were trained under innovation-focused programmes, while 37 innovation ambassadors were deployed across MDAs to strengthen service delivery and organisational efficiency.
Agoro also listed several innovations developed by public servants, including EKOscribe, an artificial intelligence-powered knowledge platform; BKind, an anti-bullying game; and SmartBOQ, a digital budgeting solution.
On procurement reforms, he said the state processed 6,590 e-procurement requests and inspected 252 capital projects between May 2025 and April 2026.
He added that more than 4,600 service providers, suppliers, and contractors were registered within the same period.
Agoro reaffirmed the commitment of the Sanwo-Olu administration to deepening public sector reforms, improving employee welfare, and ensuring more transparent and efficient service delivery across Lagos State.
