𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗢𝗻 𝗢𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗢𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗶𝘆𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘄𝗮'𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗿𝗮 𝗢𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

By NigerDelta Voice,

𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗮, 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮

Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa's administration is increasingly being recognised for its large-scale recruitment drive across the Ondo State public service, with employment opportunities extended to education, healthcare, legal services, security, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as strategic government institutions.

The recruitment exercises, which government says are aimed at addressing manpower shortages, improving service delivery and reducing unemployment, have touched virtually every critical sector of the state's economy.

Speaking during the 2026 Workers' Day celebration, Governor Aiyedatiwa disclosed that about 4,000 workers had already been recruited across education, health, administration, legal services and agriculture, while additional recruitment exercises have continued in other sectors. Government officials have since indicated that the total number of recruitments and appointments has continued to rise with fresh intakes across various agencies.

Revitalising the Education Sector

Education has recorded the largest share of the administration's employment drive.

To address years of teacher shortages in public schools, the government approved the recruitment of 1,000 primary school teachers through SUBEB and 1,010 secondary school teachers through TESCOM. The exercise was designed to deploy teachers to underserved schools, particularly in rural communities where retirements and staff shortages had significantly affected learning.

Following the exercise, Governor Aiyedatiwa also directed the regularisation of appointments for candidates affected by irregularities discovered during the SUBEB recruitment process, assuring qualified applicants that no one would be unfairly denied employment due to administrative lapses.

The Ondo State Government has equally unveiled long-term plans to bridge teacher shortages, with official education documents identifying a staffing gap of more than 8,000 teachers across primary and junior secondary schools, prompting sustained recruitment over the coming years.

Beyond primary and secondary education, appointments have continued in state-owned tertiary institutions to strengthen administration, academic activities and institutional development.

Strengthening Healthcare Delivery

The health sector has also benefited significantly from the governor's employment policy.

The state government opened recruitment for medical doctors, nurses and other health professionals to improve healthcare delivery across secondary health facilities and general hospitals.

In addition, the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency embarked on another round of recruitment to fill vacancies across primary healthcare centres. Hundreds of successful applicants have since received their posting letters for deployment to health facilities across the 18 local government areas, a move expected to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly in rural communities.

The administration says the objective is to reduce pressure on existing medical personnel while improving maternal, child and emergency healthcare services across the state.

Ministries, Civil Service and Government Agencies

After years of limited replacement of retiring civil servants, the Aiyedatiwa administration has approved fresh recruitment into several ministries, departments and agencies.

The ongoing employment covers administrative officers, technical personnel, agricultural professionals and other specialised cadres required to improve efficiency in the state civil service.

Government officials say the exercise is intended to strengthen institutional capacity while ensuring that critical offices are adequately staffed for effective service delivery.

Recruitment Into Legal Service

One of the latest recruitment exercises approved by the administration is the employment of legal officers into the Ondo State Civil Service.

The recruitment, currently underway, is expected to strengthen the Ministry of Justice and other government legal departments by bringing qualified legal practitioners into public service.

Observers believe the move will improve legal representation for government, speed up prosecution of cases and enhance legal advisory services across MDAs.

Boosting Internal Security

Security remains one of the administration's major priorities.

Earlier this year, Governor Aiyedatiwa inducted 500 newly recruited Amotekun Corps operatives, describing security as the foundation upon which economic growth and sustainable development depend. The recruits have since been deployed across the state to support the fight against kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities.

The governor has also announced plans to recruit 1,000 young people into the proposed State Forest Guard to secure forests against criminal activities and complement existing security agencies.

Political Appointments and Grassroots Inclusion

In what government described as an effort to deepen grassroots participation, Governor Aiyedatiwa dissolved previous political appointments before commencing the appointment of about 1,000 political aides spread across the state's 203 wards.

The appointments were designed to strengthen communication between government and local communities while expanding political participation among young people and party stakeholders.

OSOPADEC and Other State Agencies

Recruitment and appointments have also extended to agencies including the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), boards and commissions.

Although recruitment into these agencies has largely been based on operational needs and available vacancies, government has continued to fill strategic positions aimed at improving project implementation and service delivery in oil-producing communities.

A Departure From Years of Limited Recruitment

Many public policy observers note that Ondo State experienced long periods during which large-scale recruitment into the public service was relatively infrequent, largely due to fiscal constraints, workforce reforms and changing government priorities.

Following the administration of the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu, subsequent governments adopted different approaches to public sector employment. During Dr. Olusegun Mimiko's tenure, workforce rationalisation measures resulted in the disengagement of some categories of workers, while recruitment generally remained more selective than broad-based. Successive administrations also contended with financial limitations that affected employment capacity.

Supporters of Governor Aiyedatiwa argue that the current administration has reversed that trend through sustained recruitment across education, healthcare, security, legal services, agriculture, ministries and government agencies. At the same time, assessments comparing administrations remain matters of political interpretation, as each government operated under different fiscal realities and policy priorities.

Looking Ahead

With the planned recruitment of 1,000 Forest Guard personnel, continued employment into the health sector, legal service, civil service and education, the Aiyedatiwa administration says it will continue investing in human capital as a strategy for improving governance and creating employment opportunities for residents.

For thousands of young graduates, teachers, health workers, lawyers and professionals seeking careers in public service, the ongoing recruitment exercises represent renewed hope and a significant expansion of employment opportunities in the Sunshine State.