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Oyo Speaker Inaugurates Youth Parliament
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olagunju Ojo Wednesday inaugurated the 3rd Assembly of the Oyo State Youth Parliament.
According to Speaker, the effort is meant to encourage the youths in the decision making process in the state.
The inauguration ceremony which took place at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, House of Assembly Complex, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan had many youths across the state in attendance.
In his welcome address, Olagunju said based on the provision of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, role of the youths in the decision making process, support of government’s policies as well as promotion of people-oriented and good governance can not be over emphasized.
He described the parliament as a powerful institution that champions the course of the people, adding that Youth Parliament is a replica of the representative function of the House of Assembly members in the state, where interests and demands of the constituents are canvassed and debated.
While commending the initiative of the Oyo State Agency for Youth Development for keying into youth’s development policy, Hon Olagunju stressed that youths, having bulk of total population in the country must always be at the fore front in engaging political leaders on critical issues of national interest.
The Speaker, who was accompanied to the occasion by the Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Akeem Ige and the Chairman, House Committee on Youth and Sports, Honourable Fatai Adesina enjoined the newly inaugurated parliamentarians to be good ambassadors of the state by always promoting the pace setter status which the state is known for in all their engagements.
He also implored the youths to shun every unethical behavior such as thugerry as witnessed in the recently concluded general elections, where issues of electoral violence such as ballot boxes snatching and other electoral vices were perpetrated by the youths.
In his message at the occasion, the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barrister Abayomi Oke who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Youth and Sports, Mr Afeez Bolaji disclosed that the present administration led by Senator Abiola Ajimobi has in the last eight years given proper recognition to the youth as principal stakeholders and foremost drivers of the nation’s growth and development.
He pointed out programmes like Youth Empowerment Scheme of Oyo State (YES-O), Oyo Ajumose Business Leadership and Entrepreneur (Oyo-Able) Scheme, OYO NISE, OYO LEKO as major strategic and systematic youth empowerment programmes embarked upon by the state government to ensure that youths are sufficiently equipped to compete with their counterparts at the larger World.
He commended the Federal Government initiative for approving the laudable youth programmes which enabled them the opportunity to contribute their quotas in the decision making process both at the State and Federal levels.
During the first plenary of the newly inaugurated Youth Parliament, two Principal Officers were elected to be in charge of the newly inaugurated parliament.
The two Principal Officers are Honourable Adegoke Abayomi from Ogbomoso South State Constituency who was elected as the Honourable Speaker while Honourable Taoheed Adebayo from Irepo State Constituency was elected as the Honourable Deputy Speaker.
The two Principal Officers and other thirty Parliamentarians were later sworn-in by the imaginary Clerk of the Youth Parliament.
The thirty two members of the Oyo State Youth Parliament who were selected from the thirty three Local Government Areas of the state are between the ages of 15 and 35 years old while the new Speaker is an Electrical Engineering Graduate of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree.
Among important dignitaries that graced the colourful ceremony are the Iyaloja of Ibadanland, Alhaja Iswat Ameringun,the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Alhaja Ololade Agboola as well as the Acting Clerk and Permanent Secretary, Oyo State House of Assembly, Mrs Foluke Oyediran.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has mourned the death of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State and former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Akeem Abimbola Oladipupo, popularly known as Able, describing his demise as a painful loss to the progressive family.
Oladipupo, who represented Ibadan North-West Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, was widely regarded as a grassroots politician and committed party loyalist until his passing.
Oseni, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency and the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, said the late politician’s death had created a vacuum within the party and among those who benefitted from his unwavering commitment to public service.
In a condolence statement issued on Monday by his Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the federal lawmaker described the late Oladipupo as a dependable progressive, humble political actor and loyal party stalwart whose impact would remain indelible.
He said the deceased dedicated his life to serving humanity, strengthening the progressive movement and supporting the aspirations of many at the grassroots.
Oseni said, “The death of Hon. Akeem Abimbola Oladipupo (Able) came to me as a rude shock. Oyo State and the progressive family have indeed lost a committed, loyal and selfless leader whose passion for service, humility and dedication to the people stood him out.
“He was not just a politician but a bridge-builder, a dependable ally and a grassroots mobiliser who believed strongly in the ideals of our great party. His contributions to the growth of the APC in Oyo State and his service to humanity will remain unforgettable.”
The APC senatorial candidate noted that the late former lawmaker remained steadfast in promoting peace, unity and political development, adding that his simplicity and accessibility endeared him to many across political divides.
According to Oseni, the late politician’s legacy of service and sacrifice would continue to inspire younger politicians and party faithful.
He, however, urged members of the APC, associates and family members of the deceased to take solace in the remarkable life he lived and the positive impact he made during his lifetime.
Oseni also prayed for the repose of the deceased’s soul and for God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the painful loss.
State governors have proposed a new national minimum wage of N100,000 for Nigerian workers as part of efforts to cushion them from the biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), disclosed the proposal on Saturday in a post by the state government’s official Facebook page. He said the move aims to improve workers’ welfare while ensuring that government finances remain sustainable.
“State governments recognise the urgent need to improve workers’ welfare in response to the current economic realities facing Nigerians,” AbdulRazaq said.
“We are actively engaging with the Federal Government and organised labour to arrive at a wage structure that is fair to workers and sustainable for government finances.”
The NGF chairman explained that ongoing discussions are focused on balancing the need to boost workers’ purchasing power with the capacity of governments to deliver essential public services and development projects.
“The goal is to improve the living conditions of workers while ensuring that states can continue to meet their obligations and sustain projects that directly impact citizens,” he added.
The proposed N100,000 minimum wage is expected to intensify national debates on salaries, inflation, and broader economic reforms as Nigerians continue to contend with rising food prices, transportation costs, and other living expenses.
Currently, Nigeria’s statutory minimum wage stands at N70,000 per month. Some states, including Lagos, Rivers, and Imo, are already paying above the national benchmark to support workers amid the country’s economic challenges.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has continued to call for a comprehensive review of salaries, insisting that workers deserve a living wage that reflects present-day economic realities rather than merely guaranteeing survival.
The average retail price paid by consumers for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, rose to N1,532.93 per litre in April 2026, representing a 23.69 per cent increase compared to the N1,239.33 recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, findings by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have shown.
The sharp rise in petrol prices came amid mounting inflationary pressure and worsening living costs, with Nigerians grappling with soaring transportation and food expenses that have continued to shrink household purchasing power.
The NBS disclosed this in its Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for April 2026, released on Friday.
The report further showed that on a month-on-month basis, petrol prices rose by 18.97 per cent from N1,288.54 recorded in March 2026, underscoring persistent volatility in the downstream petroleum market.
A breakdown of prices across states revealed that Yobe recorded the highest average retail price for petrol at N1,599.05 per litre during the review period.
Edo and Bauchi followed closely with average prices of N1,595.74 and N1,589.07, respectively.
However, Niger residents paid the least for petrol at an average of N1,403.89 per litre, while Sokoto and Katsina recorded N1,404.16 and N1,406.28 respectively.
At the zonal level, the South-South recorded the highest average retail price at N1,566.76 per litre, while the North-West posted the lowest at N1,508.81.
The latest petrol price increase comes as millions of Nigerians continue to battle the ripple effects of rising inflation, with higher energy costs worsening transportation fares and the prices of essential commodities.
Similarly, the NBS said the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also known as cooking gas, rose by 13.73 per cent month-on-month to N8,706.93 in April 2026 from N7,655.73 recorded in March.
On a year-on-year basis, the price increased by 10.42 per cent from N7,885.60 recorded in April 2025.
Lagos recorded the highest average price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at N9,745.10, followed by Nasarawa at N9,451.70 and Bayelsa at N9,422.74.
In contrast, Anambra recorded the lowest average price at N7,204.76, while Ondo and Ogun followed with N7,239.49 and N7,825.75, respectively.
At the regional level, the North-West recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at N9,025.07, followed by the North-East at N8,847.16, while the South-East posted the lowest average price at N8,224.37.
Also, the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas increased by 13.89 per cent month-on-month to N22,382.20 in April 2026 from N19,652.83 in March.
Compared to April 2025, the price rose by 10.43 per cent from N20,268.06.
According to the NBS LPG Price Watch for April, Katsina recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder at N25,596.71, followed by Kogi at N24,558.25 and Gombe at N24,438.97.
Ogun recorded the lowest average price at N19,564.36, while Bauchi and Anambra followed at N20,178.87 and N20,511.90 respectively.
The North-West recorded the highest zonal average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder at N23,276.95, followed by the North-Central at N22,865.29, while the South-East posted the lowest average at N21,060.92.
The latest figures signal growing pressure on household energy costs, raising concerns over the implications for inflation and the cost of living in the coming months.
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