Mental health services across Nigeria’s South-East region face major disruption following the commencement of an indefinite strike by healthcare workers at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, over alleged unfair promotion practices and poor staff welfare.
The industrial action, which took effect on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, came after the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum earlier issued to the hospital management by joint health sector unions operating in the facility.
Speaking with our correspondent shortly after the strike was declared, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals in Enugu State, Mr. Benneth Asogwa, accused the hospital management under the leadership of the Medical Director, Dr. Ngozi Unaogu, of failing to address long-standing welfare concerns raised by workers, particularly issues surrounding promotions.
Asogwa alleged that despite conducting promotion interviews and examinations for eligible staff, many workers were retained on the same salary grade levels after being informed they had been promoted.
“They released a circular on promotion, conducted interviews, people wrote promotion examinations and passed, but they were still retained on the same salary scale,” he said.
He described the development as a controversial “same scale promotion” policy that had left workers frustrated and demoralised.
According to him, workers who expected progression after years of service discovered that their salary levels and steps remained unchanged despite undergoing the promotion process.
“What it implies is that somebody on CONHES 12 Step 3, for example, is told he has been promoted, but still remains on the same CONHES 12 Step 3. Workers do not understand how somebody will spend years on a level, qualify for promotion, go through rigorous interviews and examinations, and still remain on the same level,” Asogwa stated.
“So what is the essence of the promotion?” he queried.
The union leader disclosed that several meetings and appeals were made to the hospital management before the ultimatum expired, but no meaningful action was taken to address the grievances of workers.
The strike involves multiple unions within the hospital, including the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, the Medical and Health Workers Union, and the Senior Staff Association.
Asogwa further claimed that management justified the controversial promotion arrangement as a directive from the Federal Government, but argued that similar disputes had been resolved in other federal health institutions without resulting in industrial action.
“They are saying it is a directive from the Federal Government, but we know quite well that the same issue came up in some hospitals and was resolved. Even hospitals in Enugu like the Orthopaedic Hospital addressed it and did the right thing,” he stated.
He warned that the policy was reviving a labour dispute that triggered widespread unrest in the health sector more than a decade ago.
“These people are bringing back an issue that caused industrial disharmony over 10 years ago and imposing it again on workers,” he added.
Asogwa noted that healthcare workers were uncomfortable embarking on strike because of the implications for patients and healthcare delivery but insisted that the industrial action would continue until the issues were resolved.
“No health professional likes going on strike because we know the implications. Anytime healthcare workers down tools, a lot of issues come up because it concerns human lives,” he said.
“The strike is indefinite and it will continue until the issue is addressed. We are hoping they will address it quickly because it has to do with lives,” he added.
Efforts to obtain reactions from the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Ngozi Unaogu, were unsuccessful as she had yet to respond to calls and messages sent to her known mobile line as of the time of filing this report.
The Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, is the only specialised neuropsychiatric hospital serving the entire South-East region. The indefinite shutdown is expected to significantly disrupt mental health services, patient care, emergency response, and access to psychiatric treatment for thousands of patients across the region.
