Ekiti employs 8,358 workers as IGR hits N88.4bn in four years
Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has said his administration employed 8,358 workers across the state civil service, local governments and security agencies in the last four years, while generating N88.4 billion in internally generated revenue (IGR).
Oyebanji disclosed this on Tuesday while delivering his state-of-the-state address at the Ekiti State House of Assembly complex in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
The governor said the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased from N2.4 trillion in 2019 to N4.6 trillion in 2023, representing a 90 per cent growth, according to a recently released report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). He added that recent projections put the state’s GDP at about N8.8 trillion.
According to him, Ekiti has moved from the 33rd to the 28th position in the national GDP ranking, while its contribution to the national economy rose from 1.3 per cent to 1.6 per cent. He identified trade and agriculture as the major drivers of the state’s economy, contributing N1.7 trillion and N1.05 trillion, respectively.
“Since we assumed office, we have employed qualified persons in strategic places of need,” Oyebanji said, adding that the recruitment drive covered the civil service, education sector, local governments and security agencies.
The governor said the administration employed 6,530 teachers in public primary and secondary schools, comprising 3,530 recruited through the Teaching Service Commission and 3,000 through the State Universal Basic Education Board. He added that 41 senior civil servants, 340 junior officers and 774 local government workers were also recruited, alongside more than 600 personnel for the Amotekun and Agro Marshal corps and 73 traffic officers.
On revenue generation, Oyebanji said Ekiti’s IGR rose from N8.7 billion in 2022 to N12 billion in 2023 and N17.6 billion in 2024. Revenue increased to N27.1 billion in 2025, while the state generated N15.6 billion by June 2026, bringing its cumulative IGR to N88.4 billion over the period. He projected that revenue could approach N32 billion by the end of 2026.
Oyebanji attributed the growth in revenue and employment to institutional reforms, digital transformation of tax administration, expansion of the tax net and an improved business environment. He said the government would sustain its focus on trade, investment and agriculture while investing in aviation and tourism to diversify Ekiti’s economy.
