Patients at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have been left in a critical situation after nurses and midwives at the facility embarked on an indefinite strike.
The industrial action is over the non-implementation of the new National Minimum Wage and long-standing welfare demands.
The strike was confirmed in a statement jointly signed by the Unit Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Unit, Ojewumi Olutayo, and Secretary, Adedokun Foluwake, on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to the association, the strike commenced on Friday following the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued to the hospital management.
The union said repeated engagements and reminders had failed to yield results.
“LAUTECH Teaching Hospital workers have suffered systemic neglect, with their welfare consistently overlooked compared to counterparts in other state-owned health institutions in the state who already enjoy improved packages,” the statement read.
The aggrieved nurses and midwives listed their key demands to include, “immediate implementation of the new National Minimum Wage and its consequential adjustments with effect from January 2025; payment of promotion arrears from 2018 to 2024; recruitment of additional nurses to address severe staff shortages; renovation and proper furnishing of nurses’ stations and restrooms to improve working conditions.”
They warned that the prolonged delay in addressing these issues had caused financial strain, low morale, and the attrition of skilled personnel in the hospital.
Highlighting the critical role of the institution, the union said, “The teaching hospital, being the only state-owned tertiary health institution in the state, plays a critical role as a referral centre for patients from Oyo, Osun, Kwara, and neighbouring communities.
“A strike could severely disrupt services for thousands of patients, including pregnant women, children, accident victims, and emergency cases.”
The nurses and midwives, while reaffirming their commitment to professional excellence and quality care, urged Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently intervene “to ensure fairness and equity in staff welfare,” stressing that industrial harmony is essential to sustaining quality healthcare delivery in Oyo State.
They vowed that the strike would continue until all their demands were met.
The development comes amid growing unrest in Nigeria’s health sector.
On Friday, resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also suspended an indefinite strike after Senate intervention, though issues relating to unpaid salary arrears, hazard allowances, residency training funds, and poor working conditions remain unresolved.
