LAUTECH Resident Doctors’ Strike Enters 32nd Day as Welfare Dispute Persists in Oyo.

LAUTECH Resident Doctors’ Strike Enters 32nd Day as Welfare Dispute Persists in Oyo.

Resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have entered the 32nd day of their industrial action, with outstanding welfare and remuneration issues still at the centre of the dispute.

The strike, which began on August 28, 2026, followed the expiration of an eight week ultimatum issued by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, after an earlier five day warning strike had been suspended in June. News had previously reported the association’s decision to resume the action after the eight week window elapsed without what the doctors considered sufficient resolution of their demands.

The doctors’ demands include the implementation of the corrected Professional Allowance Table, payment of outstanding Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), settlement of six months of Minimum Wage arrears and resolution of other welfare related concerns affecting resident doctors at the institution.

The association, in a statement signed by its President, Dr Mustapha Adedapo A., and Secretary, Dr John Stephen, said the latest industrial action represented the resumption of the previously suspended warning strike after the expiration of the eight week ultimatum.

The doctors acknowledged that some steps had been taken towards addressing their concerns, including progress concerning the legal framework for the Medical Residency Training Act and part-payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund. They, however, maintained that important components of their demands remained outstanding.

One of the central issues is the Professional Allowance Table. The doctors argued that unresolved remuneration concerns could affect the ability of the hospital to attract and retain skilled medical personnel. Earlier reports by News  also documented the association’s concerns about welfare conditions, manpower shortages and the difficulty of retaining resident doctors at the hospital.

The association further maintained that Oyo State remained the only state in the South West yet to implement the Professional Allowance Table, a claim attributed specifically to the doctors and therefore not independently presented here as an established fact.

Beyond remuneration, the resident doctors have raised concerns about manpower shortages and workload at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital. According to the association, inadequate staffing has placed additional pressure on available doctors and could affect both residency training and specialized healthcare delivery.

LAUTECH Teaching Hospital provides specialized medical services, including orthopaedics, urology, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, while also serving patients from Oyo State and surrounding areas. The doctors argue that maintaining sufficient skilled personnel is necessary to sustain those services and the hospital’s residency training programmes.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has expressed solidarity with the LAUTECH doctors. On September 4, News  reported that NARD warned that failure to resolve the dispute could lead to further regional and national industrial action. NARD listed issues including the Medical Residency Training Fund, Minimum Wage arrears, implementation of the corrected Professional Allowances Table, excess-workload regulations and upgrade arrears among the concerns raised by the doctors.

The LAUTECH dispute comes amid wider concerns over doctors’ welfare and remuneration across Nigeria. On September 28, NARD issued a separate 14 day ultimatum to the Federal Government over unresolved professional and welfare matters, including remuneration, career progression, professional allowances, workload and manpower shortages. That national ultimatum is separate from the LAUTECH dispute but underscores the broader labour pressures facing resident doctors in the country.

The LAUTECH resident doctors have called on the Oyo State Government and relevant authorities to address the outstanding issues, arguing that improved welfare conditions would support the retention of medical personnel and strengthen healthcare delivery.

The association has also maintained that it remains open to dialogue and constructive engagement with the Oyo State Government, hospital management and other stakeholders. Its position is that resolving the outstanding matters would help restore normal operations, strengthen residency training and support the delivery of specialized healthcare services at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital.