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| LAUTECH Teaching Hospital |
Governor Seyi Makinde offering temporary relief to a tertiary facility that serves as a critical healthcare hub for residents of Ogbomoso and surrounding communities in Oyo and beyond.
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the hospital announced the suspension for an initial eight-week period following a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by the governor on October 15, 2026, with full clinical duties set to resume on October 17.
In a letter of appreciation jointly signed by ARD President Dr. Mustapha Adedapo, Public Relations Officer Dr. Abdulrahman Fofie, and Assistant General Secretary Dr. Oladayo Bada, and addressed to the Chief of Staff to the governor, the association expressed “profound gratitude and appreciation” for Makinde’s “timely intervention, statesmanship, and commitment towards resolving the issues that led to the industrial action.” The letter highlighted the governor’s physical visit to the hospital and the high-level meeting at Gangway Hall, which included key government officials, hospital board members, leadership of the State House of Assembly, and other stakeholders. This gathering, the doctors said, “underscored the seriousness and sincerity of government in addressing the longstanding concerns raised by healthcare workers.”
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Roots of a Prolonged Dispute
The industrial action did not emerge overnight. It represented the resumption of an earlier five-day warning strike that had been suspended in late June 2026 after appeals from hospital management and the board. An eight-week ultimatum then followed for the Oyo State government and management to address core welfare grievances. When that deadline passed without full resolution, the doctors resumed action around late August, pushing the dispute past the 30-day mark by late September and ultimately to roughly 50 days by mid-October.
At the heart of the demands were three interconnected issues that have become flashpoints across Nigeria’s public health system: domestication and implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA), payment of 2025 minimum wage arrears (reportedly covering about six months), and full rollout of the Revised Professional Allowance Table (PAT). Additional concerns included outstanding Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) payments, accoutrement allowances, promotion and upgrade arrears, severe manpower shortages, and dilapidated call rooms that contributed to burnout. lucky-wap-ams.op-mobile.opera.com
Oyo State stood out as the only South-West state yet to implement the PAT, a disparity the doctors repeatedly flagged as undermining retention of skilled personnel. Specialties such as anaesthesia, chemical pathology, haematology, orthopaedics, urology, paediatrics, and obstetrics and gynaecology faced particular strain as resident doctors completed training or left without adequate replacements. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Oyo branch amplified the pressure, with NARD threatening regional or national escalation and the NMA issuing ultimatums, framing the crisis as a symptom of broader strain on patient safety, emergency services, and the state’s ability to retain talent.
National-level engagement helped break the deadlock. NARD noted that full payment of the 2026 MRTF—a historic first for the institution—had already been confirmed, along with the 2025/2026 Accoutrement Allowance. Commitments also covered recruitment advertisements in national dailies to address the dwindling workforce. @nard_nigeria
Governor’s Commitments and Broader Gestures
During the October 15 meeting, Makinde and stakeholders reviewed the demands. The ARD specifically welcomed several concrete pledges: payment of the 2025 minimum wage arrears on or before mid-November 2026; constitution of a multi-stakeholder committee to develop modalities for PAT implementation within six weeks; and passage of the Medical Residency Training Act Bill by the Oyo State House of Assembly on or before October 28, 2026, with expected assent in the first week of November.
Makinde himself publicly confirmed aspects of the engagement, stating that outstanding minimum wage and promotion arrears would be addressed by mid-November and that a committee would examine remaining issues. He also approved an immediate increase in monthly salaries for hospital cleaners—from ₦15,000 to ₦80,000—to align with the national minimum wage, responding to a direct appeal during his visit. The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) was part of the broader industrial action context at the facility.
In remarks reported from the meeting, the governor appealed for understanding amid economic pressures, noting that rising costs had outstripped revenues and that dialogue remained essential.
“Initially, I didn’t want to respond to those who are on strike. But if there are challenges, we must find ways to solve them,” he was quoted as saying, while emphasizing collective responsibility for the state’s future. Hospital leadership, including Chief Medical Director Professor Olawale Olakulehin and Board Chairman Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, joined Health Commissioner Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi in expressing gratitude and urging cooperation.
Following an Emergency General Meeting on October 16, ARD members resolved to suspend the action “in recognition of the Governor’s goodwill and the ongoing efforts of the Government and Hospital Management.” All resident doctors were directed to resume full duties the next day. The association reiterated its “continued commitment to constructive engagement, industrial harmony, and the provision of quality healthcare services,” while expressing optimism that timelines would be met and that the episode marked the start of lasting resolution.
Implications for Healthcare Delivery and Systemic Challenges
The suspension restores services at a facility that functions as a major referral center for specialized care in a region where access to tertiary hospitals is limited. Prolonged strikes of this nature typically force patients to seek alternatives in already overburdened facilities elsewhere, delay elective procedures, disrupt residency training programs, and exacerbate emergency care pressures—outcomes NMA officials had warned about as the action stretched past a month.
More broadly, the dispute illustrates recurring tensions in Nigeria’s health workforce: lagging implementation of nationally agreed frameworks like the MRTA and PAT at the state level, chronic understaffing that drives brain drain, and the gap between policy commitments and fiscal realities.
Resident doctors, who form the backbone of tertiary hospital operations while training as specialists, often bear the brunt of excess workload when numbers dwindle. Competitive welfare packages in neighboring states and the private sector compound retention challenges.
Makinde’s personal intervention—coming amid his broader political activities—signals recognition that unresolved health sector disputes carry both human and political costs. Yet the eight-week suspension period places the onus on follow-through. Timely payment of arrears, passage and assent of the MRTA bill, and workable PAT modalities will determine whether this becomes a genuine reset or another cycle of temporary relief followed by renewed tension.
For patients in Ogbomoso and surrounding areas, the immediate priority is restored clinical services.
For the doctors, it is verifiable progress on welfare that allows them to focus on care rather than industrial action. For the state government, it is an opportunity to demonstrate that engagement can yield durable improvements in a sector essential to public well-being. The coming weeks will test whether the commitments made in Gangway Hall translate into sustained stability at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Politics and Technology.
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