Ogun plans bulk food sales and more buses to ease cost of living
- Governor Dapo Abiodun says Ogun will sell food in bulk through a planned Gateway Trading Corporation to cut prices.
- He also promised more mass transit buses for workers and residents, after labour raised transport costs.
- Labour leaders asked for a review of the pension scheme and a Ministry of Labour Affairs.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has announced plans for a government-backed bulk food purchase scheme and a bigger mass transit fleet, as residents grapple with the rising cost of living.
He spoke at a stakeholders' meeting with organised labour from the Ijebu axis in Ijebu-Ode, according to Channels TV and The Nation.
The food scheme will run through the planned Gateway Trading Corporation. Under it, the state would buy essential food items and household goods in bulk, negotiate better prices, and sell them to residents at more affordable rates.
Abiodun said the idea came from the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Hameed Ademola-Benco. He added that cheaper goods from the government platform could push traders to review their own prices in the open market.
The governor assured labour leaders the scheme would be made to work.
More buses, pension concerns
On transport, Abiodun promised to add more mass transit buses for government workers and the public. He said this followed complaints from labour about the cost and stress of daily commuting.
He also said concerns over leave allowance and the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) were receiving attention.
On education, the governor said teachers were indispensable to the state's development. He said his administration had built or renovated about 1,600 classrooms and employed hundreds of teachers in seven years, and he praised Ogun teachers and students for awards and strong results in competitions.
The state NLC chairman, Ademola-Benco; the Trade Union Congress (TUC) chairman, Akeem Lasisi; and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) chairman, Sewakanu Noah, thanked the governor for what they called development across sectors. They noted regular payment of salaries and allowances, promotions, and the clearing of outstanding gratuities and pensions.
They still asked for a review of the Contributory Pension Scheme, the creation of a Ministry of Labour Affairs, and higher subventions to tertiary institutions. The Nation also reported that the labour leaders pledged support for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections.
What happens next
No start date has been given for the food scheme or the extra buses. Residents will be watching for the Gateway Trading Corporation to begin operations and for the new buses to appear on routes, since both promises touch directly on food and transport costs.
