Officials of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, have commended the Oyo State Government’s pension administration and aspects of its local government policies during an assessment visit to the state.
The NIPSS team conducted an on-the-spot assessment of local government administrative policies and strategic development initiatives in Oyo State, including the operations of the Oyo State Local Government Staff Pension Board.
During the visit to the state secretariat in Ibadan, the team expressed satisfaction with what it described as best practices in the administration of the pension board.
Team leader, Professor Ibrahim Choji, said the exercise was designed to examine policies, strategies and systems operating at the local-government level and identify practices that could potentially inform recommendations at the national level.
Choji described NIPSS as a Federal Government think tank and said findings from the assessment could contribute to recommendations and implementation strategies for the Presidency.
He also indicated that outstanding practices identified during the assessment could be considered for recognition later in the year.
The assessment covers more than pension administration, with the NIPSS team also examining local-government policies and strategic development initiatives implemented by the state.
The commendation provides an external assessment of the systems reviewed by the visiting team, rather than an independent audit of Oyo State’s entire pension system.
The visit comes as state governments continue to face pressure to improve pension administration, ensure timely payments and strengthen public-sector management.
For Oyo State, the assessment provides an opportunity for the government to showcase its administrative practices while also receiving external scrutiny of its policies and systems.