The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors said it acted because the government had failed to honour agreements on pay and staff welfare.

"I brought my daughter for treatment for the first time but I have been told to go and bring her tomorrow. People are just seated hoping someone will attend to them," a father told the BBC outside Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

The salary structure for doctors was implemented in 2009 and that makes it mandatory for the government to review their salaries every five years.

However, no salary review has ever been undertaken since then and that’s why resident doctors are asking for a 200% pay increases.

They are also calling for a withdrawal of a bill that seeks to stop doctors who have recently graduated from leaving the country until they have worked for five years.

The government has described the strike as illegal because doctors did not give the mandatory 21-day notice.