Nurses and midwives at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH-TH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have embarked on an indefinite strike over the non-implementation of the new National Minimum Wage and long-standing welfare issues.
The action followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued to the hospital’s management. In a statement released in Ibadan on Saturday, the Unit Chairman, Ojewumi Olutayo, and Secretary, Adedokun Foluwake, of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Unit, said the strike commenced on Friday after repeated engagements with management failed to yield results.
The union said LAUTECH workers had suffered systemic neglect, stressing that their welfare had been overlooked compared to counterparts in other state-owned health institutions.
“Our key demands 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,” the statement read.
The union warned that the strike could severely disrupt services for thousands of patients, including pregnant women, children, accident victims, and emergency cases, as the teaching hospital is the only state-owned tertiary health institution in Oyo State and serves as a referral centre for neighbouring states.
It called on Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently intervene to ensure fairness and equity in staff welfare, stressing that industrial harmony was critical to sustaining quality healthcare delivery.
While reaffirming their commitment to professional excellence, the nurses and midwives said the strike would continue until all their demands were met.
The action at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital comes amid wider unrest in Nigeria’s health sector. On Friday, resident doctors in the Federal Capital Territory suspended their indefinite strike after Senate intervention, though issues of unpaid salaries, hazard allowances, and residency training funds remain unresolved.