LAUTECH ODL Nursing Tragedy: Union Under Fire as NANNM Remains Silent 48 Hours After Fatal Accident
Lagos, 24 February 2026
The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) is facing growing criticism from within the nursing community for its continued silence following a fatal road accident that claimed the lives of six final-year students from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology’s (LAUTECH) Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Bachelor of Nursing Science programme.
The crash occurred on Sunday, 22 February 2026, along the Suleja–Abuja Expressway as the six women — all 500-level students and practising registered nurses — travelled from Abuja to the university’s main campus in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, for mandatory in-person semester examinations. Reports from multiple sources confirm that the victims were balancing full-time clinical roles with their studies to upgrade to degree level. One of the deceased was heavily pregnant, intensifying the grief among families, colleagues, and peers.
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More than 48 hours after the incident became widely known, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM has issued no statement of condolence, no expression of solidarity, and no comment on the safety implications for distance-learning nurses who must undertake hazardous long-distance travel.
Kenny Oluwatosin RN, MSc, founder of Fellow Nurses Africa and a prominent advocate in Nigerian nursing, has been among the most vocal critics. In a post on X that has garnered significant attention, he wrote:
“Six of your members perished in a ghastly motor accident while en route to write their final exams, which would have qualified them as degree nurses. There has been no statement or communication whatsoever from you.
These were already qualified nurses seeking to advance their careers by pursuing a degree!
Zero accountability!
Zero advocacy.
NANNM is one of the worst things that has ever happened to Nigerian nursing 💔”
The criticism has since been echoed by other nurses and nursing professionals on social media platforms. Several colleagues have publicly called on NANNM to demonstrate accountability and proactivity issuing an immediate formal statement, mourning the loss of their members, and advocating for reforms such as decentralised examination centres or enhanced virtual assessment options to reduce travel risks for ODL students.
The Elegant Nurses Forum of LAUTECH issued a condolence message on Monday, expressing sympathies to the families and noting that the students were due to resume face-to-face sessions. However, no similar response has come from LAUTECH management regarding potential reviews of ODL logistics or support for affected communities.
The tragedy has spotlighted persistent challenges in Nigeria’s nursing education system: practising nurses pursuing advanced qualifications often face long, dangerous road journeys due to centralised exam requirements, amid broader issues of infrastructure deficits and professional shortages.
Fellow Nurses Africa, an independent platform committed to educating, informing, and advocating for nurses across Africa, has described the deaths as a “devastating loss” to a profession under strain. The organisation has reiterated condolences to the bereaved families, friends, and the LAUTECH ODL community while urging NANNM and relevant authorities to respond meaningfully and pursue systemic changes to prevent future incidents.
As coverage expands in outlets such as The Guardian, TheCable, and Sahara Reporters, the incident underscores calls for greater union responsiveness and improved safety measures for health professionals in education.
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Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support nurses across Africa
