LUTH resident doctors embark on indefinite strike over accommodation, unpaid salaries

Resident doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Idi Araba have initiated an indefinite strike, citing critical issues with their living conditions and remuneration. The industrial action, which commenced at 8 a.m. on July 20, 2026, follows unsuccessful negotiations with the hospital administration.

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Doctors are sleeping in their cars and in hospital lounges while treating patients. We need the Federal Government to release funds so the Chief Medical Director can complete the renovation immediately.

The doctors, represented by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) LUTH chapter, are demanding the immediate completion of renovations on the hospital's residential quarters. Many doctors are reportedly forced to sleep in their cars or hospital lounges due to the prolonged 18-month delay in the renovation project. Additionally, they seek the prompt payment of salaries for newly employed doctors who have faced significant delays in being enrolled onto the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

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The building has been locked for almost 18 months, but it has not been completed because of lack of funding. We need the government to intervene urgently and give us a timeline for the completion of the project.

Furthermore, the striking doctors are calling for the reinstatement of call duty meals, which they describe as an essential welfare provision for medical personnel working overnight shifts. Dr. Omogbolahan Adenuga, President of the LUTH ARD chapter, stated that the hospital management attributes the unresolved issues to inadequate funding. The doctors emphasize the urgency of the situation, noting that some newly employed physicians have not received salaries since April, and the lack of proper accommodation exacerbates the challenges of commuting long distances to work.

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Those employed in April have not been captured on IPPIS, so they have not received their salaries from April till now. We are demanding that IPPIS officials immediately capture them so they can be paid.