Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has expanded the state’s public workforce with the recruitment of 9,788 workers across education, healthcare, civil service and local government sectors within his first three and a half years in office.

The figure, disclosed by the Governor during his 2026 Workers’ Day address, includes 4,253 teachers, 1,217 non-teaching education personnel, 1,461 mainstream civil servants and 972 workers recruited through the Local Government Service Commission.

The health sector also received additional manpower, with 1,396 health workers employed through the Hospitals Management Board and 489 through Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, while 160 doctors and nurses were engaged on contract appointments.

Education remains a major focus of the recruitment drive, with the government continuing to address manpower shortages in public schools.

An additional recruitment exercise involving 1,500 teachers is currently ongoing under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

The administration has also introduced measures aimed at promoting inclusive employment.

The government has shortlisted 100 persons with disabilities for skills acquisition and development programmes, with their empowerment expected to follow.

Earlier, the state reported the employment of 28 persons with disabilities into the civil service, while the State Executive Council later approved the recruitment of another 30 and directed compliance with the five per cent employment quota for persons with disabilities.

Beyond recruitment, the administration has reported progress in workers’ career advancement. According to the Governor, 37,019 workers benefited from promotion, conversion or advancement, while 1,993 workers received approval for inter-cadre transfers.

The government says the workforce expansion is aimed at strengthening public institutions, improving service delivery and creating more dependable livelihoods for Ekiti residents.

The recruitment drive cuts across key sectors of the state’s economy, reinforcing the administration’s focus on human capital development alongside physical infrastructure and institutional renewal.