Nurses and midwives at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH-TH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have embarked on an indefinite strike to press for the implementation of Nigeria’s new national minimum wage and the resolution of long-standing welfare issues.
In a statement issued on Saturday, September 20, and signed by the unit chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Ojewumi Olutayo, and secretary, Adedokun Foluwake, the association accused the government of failing to respond to repeated appeals to improve the conditions of its members. The strike, which began on Friday, September 19, followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum to the hospital management.
The group explained that engagements with the management and the Oyo State government had yielded no results. Their demands include immediate implementation of the new national minimum wage and consequential adjustments backdated to January 2025, payment of promotion arrears from 2018 to 2024, urgent recruitment of additional nurses to address acute shortages, and the renovation and proper furnishing of nurses’ stations and restrooms.
“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 union noted that the prolonged delay in addressing these concerns had created financial strain, low morale, and an exodus of skilled personnel. It warned that the strike would continue until all demands were met. While calling on Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene urgently, the association cautioned that the strike would severely disrupt services for thousands of patients, including pregnant women, children, accident victims, and other emergency cases.
President Bola Tinubu had on Monday, July 29 signed the National Minimum Wage Act 2024 Amendment Bill into law, raising the minimum wage for civil servants from N30,000 to N70,000. However, implementation has been uneven across the country, with several state governments and institutions yet to adjust salaries or clear arrears.
