Akin Alabi, a two-term member of the House of Representatives, has weighed in on the growing debate around night-shift negligence in Nigeria following a disturbing account shared by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) spokesman, Michael Achimugu.
Alabi, who represents Egbeda Federal Constituency and currently chairs the House Committee on Works, said night shifts in Nigeria have been “bastardised” by both employees and employers. According to him, many workers now see night duty as a period for rest rather than work, despite the expectation that they should have slept during the day to remain alert.
Reacting to Achimugu’s post on X, Alabi noted that sleeping on duty has become so normalised that Nigerians no longer expect efficient service at night, even in critical sectors such as healthcare. He described the situation as dangerous, particularly because emergencies are more likely to occur during late hours when people are most vulnerable.
Achimugu had earlier narrated how he rushed his young daughter to a hospital around 2am, only to be delayed by a cashier who was asleep while urgent payments were required for laboratory tests and medication. Despite repeated attempts to wake her, the cashier reportedly drifted back to sleep, costing him precious minutes during a medical emergency. The situation only improved when a doctor intervened.
The NCAA director warned that such negligence could have resulted in a fatal outcome and described the incident as reflective of a wider systemic failure among night-shift workers in hospitals, hotels and other service-driven institutions.
He stressed that while night duty can be demanding, it comes with clear professional obligations that must be upheld at all times. Achimugu also revealed that the NCAA is set to deploy automated monitoring systems to track night-duty officers in real time, aimed at improving accountability and preventing absenteeism.
Both men agreed that stronger standards, better supervision and stricter consequences are required to restore professionalism and efficiency to night shifts across Nigeria, warning that lives should never be put at risk due to avoidable negligence.
