The Oyo State Government has appealed to the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to allow pupils and students return to classrooms and prevent further disruption of the academic calendar, even as the union maintains that schools in insecurity-prone areas should not resume until adequate safety measures are put in place.
The appeal was contained in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, following the State Executive Council meeting.
According to the Commissioner, while the concerns that prompted the withdrawal of students from schools are understandable, the continued closure of schools carries significant social and economic consequences that must also be considered.
He reassured residents that the government is taking strategic steps to bring the recent abduction incident in Oriire Local Government Area to a close and restore confidence in the safety of schools across the state.
As part of efforts to strengthen the education sector, the Executive Council approved the release of ₦8.77 billion for the procurement of teaching and learning materials for primary and junior secondary schools across Oyo State. The approval represents the first phase of a project valued at ₦23.01 billion.
The textbooks, to be procured in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the World Bank, will cover Numeracy, Literacy, Mathematics, English Language and Basic Science.
The government noted that successful procurement and distribution of the materials would qualify Oyo State for a reward-based disbursement of two United States dollars per student per subject under the project’s results-based financing framework.
Council also approved a supplementary budget and realignment of the 2026 fiscal plan, increasing the state’s budget from ₦892.09 billion to ₦1.10 trillion to ensure the completion of ongoing projects before the end of the current administration.
In addition, the government approved the payment of $250,000 to support African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation programmes aimed at attracting investment opportunities in industrialisation, agribusiness and export-oriented enterprises within the state.
The Council further approved ₦5.91 billion for the implementation of the 2026 Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) programme, covering health insurance and food security interventions designed to cushion the impact of economic hardship on residents.
However, despite the government’s appeal, the Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers has expressed strong reservations about resuming academic activities in areas affected by insecurity.
The union said the safety of teachers, pupils and other education workers must be guaranteed before normal academic activities can fully resume in vulnerable communities.
According to the NUT, recent incidents of kidnapping and criminal attacks have heightened fears among teachers and parents, creating an atmosphere unsuitable for learning.
The union stressed that educators cannot be expected to work under conditions where their lives and those of their students remain under threat, calling on the state government and security agencies to strengthen security around schools and affected communities.
The teachers’ body urged authorities to deploy additional security personnel, improve intelligence gathering and establish effective emergency response mechanisms to prevent future attacks on educational institutions.
While reaffirming its commitment to quality education, the NUT maintained that the protection of lives must remain the foremost priority, insisting that schools should only reopen when adequate security measures are in place.
The development highlights the growing tension between the need to restore academic activities and the demand for stronger security assurances following the recent school abduction incident in Oriire Local Government Area.