Health Sector Industrial Labour Troubles in Nigeria: Implication for Leaders and Other Stakeholders

Authors

  • Aloysius Maduforo University of Calgary
  • Shelleyann Scott University of Calgary
  • Donald Scott University of Calgary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/ijll32

Keywords:

strike, leadership, health sector, industrial troubles, patients, unionism

Abstract

Nigeria’s health sector has been challenged with frequent industrial labour troubles, commonly called strikes. Industrial labour disputes are the existence of incompatibility of goals, interests, and values of different persons or groups in an organization. Several causes have been identified for the strikes in Nigeria. This review focuses on the various causes of industrial troubles in Nigeria, and the consequences of the industrial action on the stakeholders. Causes were identified as: poor administration, incompetent leaders, the failure of government to keep the agreement that was signed with the unions, poor funding and poor infrastructure in the health sector, and supremacy challenge between doctors and other health workers were identified amongst other factors to be the cause of strikes in the Nigerian health sector. Unfortunately, patients were the greatest affected during these strikes, especially when the public health facilities were shut down and the patients were discharged to go home or moved to other private hospitals.

Author Biographies

Aloysius Maduforo, University of Calgary

Aloysius Nwabugo Maduforo, Ph.D., RDN.  Aloysius holds a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition. He is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist (RDN) in Nigeria who has had work experience in the hospital, community, and academic settings. Aloysius was a lecturer at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Aloysius’s research interest is in leadership, policy, and governance in the health and educational sectors, diet-related non-communicable diseases, community nutrition and dietetics, maternal and child nutrition, food consumption studies, and food composition. He is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Research within the Leadership specialization at Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Aloysius has held several leadership positions including Enugu State Coordinator, Academic and Research Network for Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (ARN-SUNN), Chairman, ICT Committee of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria Nsukka, President, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics the Postgraduate Student Association University of Nigeria Nsukka, Vice-Chairman, Dietitians Association of Nigeria, Nsukka Chapter, National Vice President, Dietitians Association of Nigeria, General Secretary, Dietitians Association of Nigeria, Federal Capital Territory Abuja Chapter among others. Aloysius belongs to several professional bodies including the Graduate Student Association of the University of Calgary, Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Academic and Research Network for Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria (ARN-SUNN), Dietitians Association of Nigeria (DAN), American Society for Nutrition, Nutrition Society United Kingdom (NS) and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Nigeria. Aloysius has authored several peer-reviewed articles in international journals.

Shelleyann Scott, University of Calgary

Dr. Shelleyann Scott Ph.D.  Shelley is a Professor in Leadership, Policy & Governance specialisation in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.  She has held numerous leadership roles within the university context including most recently the Associate Dean, Professional, and Community Engagement and Director of Graduate Programs at the University of Calgary. Prior to joining the University of Calgary in 2007, Shelley was the Director and Coordinator of Teaching and Learning at Curtin University's Business School, the largest business school in Australia at that time. Shelley has experience in education, government, and business contexts. Her work experience encompasses leadership in an education district office, high school teaching, medical technology, and business consultancy. She has extensive experience as a professional developer and a quality assurance auditor in Australia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Dr. Scott is a member of the Canadian Society for Studies in Education, Canadian Association for Studies in Educational Administration. Shelley served as Vice President, President, and Past President of CASEA. Her memberships have also included American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society, (BELMAS).

Donald Scott, University of Calgary

Dr. Donald Scott Ph.D.   Dr. Scott is an Associate Professor in Leadership, Policy & Governance specialisation in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada. He is an experienced university instructor teaching within the areas of post-secondary teaching and learning, professional development of teachers and faculty, school and university leadership development, and mixed methods research approaches. Dr. Scott has been a Science teacher and school/district leader, professional developer, and consultant to the Western Australian government in relation to their ICT implementation strategies for schools. Dr. Scott’s Ph.D. (2009) was in university teaching and learning within technology-mediated learning environments with implications for academic development and institutional leadership. Dr. Scott is a member of the Canadian Society for Studies in Education, Canadian Association for Studies in Educational Administration, the British Educational Leadership and Management Society, and the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia.

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Published

26-12-2023

How to Cite

Maduforo, A., Scott, S., & Scott, D. (2023). Health Sector Industrial Labour Troubles in Nigeria: Implication for Leaders and Other Stakeholders. International Journal for Leadership in Learning, 23(1), 48–72. https://doi.org/10.29173/ijll32

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2023): Leadership Through an International Lens

Section

Articles