Resident doctors at University College Hospital Ibadan have issued a warning that they may embark on an indefinite strike if the long-running electricity crisis at the hospital is not resolved within three weeks.
The warning follows a 21-day ultimatum issued by the doctors on March 7, 2026, after a five-day warning strike failed to produce a solution to the ongoing power challenges affecting the hospital’s operations.
Speaking on the situation, Uthman Adedeji, president of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the hospital, said the warning strike held last week was intended to push authorities to urgently address the power supply crisis.
“We embarked on a five-day warning strike from Monday to Friday last week. When we resumed work on Saturday, nothing had changed,” he said.
Adedeji explained that the temporary strike was meant to allow room for dialogue and a responsible resolution of the problem. However, he noted that since the strike ended, hospital management has not initiated any meaningful engagement with the doctors.
According to him, failure to address the issue before the ultimatum expires could force the resident doctors to begin an indefinite strike.
He described the situation as unacceptable for a major teaching hospital, warning that the continued electricity shortage is already affecting patient care and medical training.
“A teaching hospital in 2026 should not be struggling with basic infrastructure like electricity,” he said, stressing that the doctors’ demands are focused on restoring stable power supply to both clinical facilities and residential quarters within the hospital.
“Our struggle is not for personal benefit but for quality service delivery and proper medical training. These demands are legitimate,” he added.
The electricity crisis at the hospital began on October 26, 2024, when Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company disconnected the facility from the national grid over an unpaid electricity bill reportedly totaling N495 million.
Officials of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Workers have also confirmed that the situation remains unresolved.
According to Daniel Adejobi, public relations officer of the union’s UCH chapter, no concrete resolution has been reached so far.
“There is no resolution yet as we speak. The matter has not been resolved,” Adejobi said.
The prolonged power outage has significantly disrupted operations at the hospital. Reports indicate that between November 2024 and February 2025, the facility experienced a complete blackout lasting as long as 102 days, raising concerns about the impact on healthcare delivery at one of Nigeria’s leading medical institutions in Ibadan.
