Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Health workers at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, are seeking Governor Seyi Makinde’s intervention over outstanding financial and welfare obligations, as concerns about staff morale and healthcare delivery at the facility continue.
The dispute has intensified amid an ongoing industrial action by resident doctors at the teaching hospital, who are demanding the settlement of outstanding minimum-wage arrears, payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund and implementation of the Professional Allowance Table.
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, said the unresolved issues had continued to affect the welfare of medical personnel and could make it increasingly difficult for the hospital to retain skilled professionals.
Resident Doctors’ Strike Enters Second Month
The resident doctors’ industrial action had entered its 32nd day by September 29, according to a report on the dispute.
The doctors said their demands include payment of six months of outstanding minimum-wage arrears, release of unpaid portions of the Medical Residency Training Fund and implementation of the Professional Allowance Table.
The association said the strike resumed after an eight-week ultimatum issued to the authorities expired without all of its concerns being resolved.
The doctors acknowledged that some progress had been made, including steps towards establishing a legal framework for the Medical Residency Training Act and part-payment of the residency training fund.
However, they maintained that several important demands remained outstanding.
One of the major issues is the Professional Allowance Table, which the doctors said had yet to be implemented in Oyo State despite its implementation elsewhere.
The association warned that prolonged welfare challenges could worsen the loss of skilled medical personnel from the hospital.
NMA Raises Concern Over Outstanding Entitlements
The Nigerian Medical Association has also intervened in the dispute.
In a letter dated September 5, 2026, the NMA appealed to Governor Makinde to address what it described as persistent welfare challenges affecting resident doctors at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital.
The association listed several outstanding issues, including the 2025 minimum-wage arrears, the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund, implementation of the corrected professional allowances table, full implementation of the call and work-hour regulatory policy, as well as upgrade and promotion arrears.
The NMA said several agreements reached with the Oyo State Government had remained unimplemented despite months of engagement by the resident doctors.
The development has placed renewed attention on the welfare of healthcare workers at one of Oyo State’s major specialist healthcare institutions.
Earlier Government Commitments
The latest dispute comes against the background of previous commitments by the Oyo State Government to address outstanding entitlements at the teaching hospital.
In 2025, Governor Makinde announced measures to settle promotion arrears covering 2018 to 2024 and minimum-wage arrears covering January to August 2025.
The government also approved an increase in the hospital’s monthly subvention and promised additional measures to improve the welfare and working conditions of personnel.
In December 2025, Makinde also announced the approval of outstanding salaries and minimum-wage arrears for staff of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital during the inauguration of the hospital’s governing board.
The renewed complaints therefore raise questions about the implementation and clearance of outstanding obligations that remain unresolved for some categories of workers.
Impact on Healthcare Delivery
The dispute is not limited to workers’ remuneration.
LAUTECH Teaching Hospital provides specialist services to patients in Oyo State and surrounding areas, including orthopaedics, urology, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology.
Resident doctors also play an important role in postgraduate medical training, meaning prolonged industrial action can have implications beyond immediate disruptions to patient care.
The doctors have warned that poor welfare conditions could make it harder for the hospital to attract and retain specialists.
This concern is particularly significant against the backdrop of Nigeria’s wider healthcare workforce challenges, including the movement of trained medical professionals to better-paying jobs within and outside the country.
An earlier investigation into conditions at the hospital found that staffing shortages had already affected the facility, with the number of resident doctors and house officers having fallen substantially from previous levels.
Political Criticism Emerges
The dispute has also attracted political criticism.
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation recently criticised the Makinde administration over the prolonged resident doctors’ strike, arguing that unresolved welfare issues were affecting both healthcare workers and patients.
The organisation cited unpaid allowances, residency training funds and salary arrears among the issues being raised by the doctors.
It urged the state government to engage the striking doctors and resolve the dispute.
The criticism comes from a political organisation and should therefore be understood in that context. The organisation also used the controversy to outline its own proposed approach to healthcare and civil-service welfare.
Why the Arrears Matter
The LAUTECH dispute highlights the connection between public-sector worker welfare and the quality of healthcare services.
For doctors and other health professionals, delayed salaries, allowances, training funds and promotion benefits can affect morale and make public-sector employment less attractive.
For patients, prolonged disputes can mean reduced access to specialist services, longer waiting times and additional financial pressure when they have to seek care elsewhere.
For the state government, resolving the dispute is therefore not only a labour matter but also a healthcare-management issue.
The situation also comes at a time when Nigeria is attempting to strengthen its health system while dealing with shortages of skilled personnel and rising costs of healthcare delivery.
What Happens Next
The immediate focus is on whether the Oyo State Government and the affected healthcare workers can reach an agreement capable of ending the industrial action.
The resident doctors have called for outstanding payments to be settled and for the Professional Allowance Table and other agreed welfare measures to be implemented.
The government’s previous commitments to clear arrears and improve funding provide a basis for further engagement, but the current dispute shows that some welfare concerns remain unresolved.
A lasting solution will likely require clear timelines for outstanding payments, implementation of agreed allowances and policies, and continued dialogue between government officials, hospital management and the professional associations representing healthcare workers.
For patients who depend on LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, the outcome of those discussions will have consequences beyond the workplace.
The central issue is whether the authorities and health workers can resolve the outstanding financial and professional concerns quickly enough to restore stability and ensure uninterrupted access to specialist healthcare services in Ogbomoso and beyond.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Nigerian Medical Association — letter on outstanding welfare issues affecting LAUTECH resident doctors, reported by The PUNCH.
- GongNews — report on the 32-day LAUTECH resident doctors’ industrial action and outstanding demands.
- The PUNCH — report on LAUTECH doctors’ earlier appeal over residency training funds and minimum-wage arrears.
- The Guardian — report on Governor Makinde’s earlier intervention and commitments on LAUTECH workers’ welfare.
- Tribune Online — report on approval of minimum-wage arrears and outstanding entitlements for LAUTECH Teaching Hospital workers.
- BusinessDay — reporting on staffing and welfare challenges at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital.
