The Lagos State Government has clarified recent reports suggesting that 30 percent of state employees failed to return after participating in government-sponsored overseas training programmes, describing the claims as misleading and inaccurate.
According to the Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo, the issue relates to staff who proceeded on study leave without pay, not those officially sponsored by the government for training abroad.
In a reaction issued from his office following interpretations of his remarks at a ministerial press briefing marking the second year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, Ayantayo noted that some public servants granted study leave without pay failed to return to the state’s service upon completion of their studies,
Such cases, he said, represent a different category from those sponsored by the State Government on official training or capacity-building purposes.
“We need to make an important distinction,” the Commissioner said. “The individuals being referred to are those who applied for and were granted study leave without pay, often to pursue personal academic programmes abroad, not civil servants sent on official training programmes.”
He stressed that the number of such cases remains under control, and mechanisms are in place to review and strengthen regulations guiding study leave policies.
“Efforts are ongoing to ensure accountability across all categories of personnel development, including bonding and post-leave return monitoring,” Ayantayo said.
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He also reiterated that the Lagos State Government remained committed to equipping its workforce with skills and knowledge through well-structured training, both locally and internationally.
The Commissioner affirmed that the majority of such beneficiaries return and contribute meaningfully to public service delivery.
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