Lagos debunks report on civil servants absconding after foreign training
BY MOTOLANI OSENI
The Lagos State Government has denied reports that 30 per cent of its civil servants failed to return after undergoing overseas training, describing the claims as misleading and damaging to its workforce’s reputation.
Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, clarified that the individuals mentioned in the reports were not state-sponsored civil servants, but private applicants who were granted study leave without pay for personal academic pursuits abroad.
“These were not officials sent for official training. They went on their own, and many did not return. But lumping them with our civil servants is a serious misrepresentation,” he said during a ministerial briefing to mark Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term.
Ayantayo added that the state has systems in place to ensure accountability, including bonding agreements and post-leave monitoring, to ensure that those who benefit from government-sponsored training programmes return to serve.
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He said the government is already reviewing its policies on study leave to prevent future abuses and ensure that public funds spent on capacity development are properly accounted for.
Despite growing challenges, including a shortage of professionals due to brain drain, Ayantayo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to investing in its workforce through structured training programmes at home and abroad.
His comments come as Lagos grapples with the healthcare impact of emigration, with officials estimating a shortage of 30,000 medical doctors, even as the city’s population grows by 6 to 8 per cent annually.
