Lagos State Government has clarified that 30% of the staff who failed to return were on study leave and not sponsored by the government, as many reports have insinuated.

The Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo, on Wednesday, compared the percentage of staff who returned after studying abroad with those who did not.

In a statement posted on X, the state government clarified misconceptions that the staff were in its payroll.

The statement stated that individuals being referred to are those who applied for and were granted study leave without pay, often to pursue personal academic programmes abroad, not civil servants sent on official training programmes.

“According to the Honourable Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, the issue relates to staff who proceeded on study leave without pay, not those officially sponsored by the government for training abroad,” the statement read in part.

Ayantayo added that such cases represent a different category from those sponsored by the State Government on official training or capacity-building purposes.

The commissioner further noted that mechanisms are in place to strengthen study leave policies in the state.

“Efforts are ongoing to ensure accountability across all categories of personnel development, including bonding and post-leave return monitoring,” said Ayantayo.