President Bola Tinubu has transmitted 24 health sector bills to Senate for legislative consideration, in line with Section 58(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The bills were transmitted in a letter addressed to the Senate and read by the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, during plenary session.
Tinubu explained that the proposed legislation followed a comprehensive review of existing health sector laws carried out by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in collaboration with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and subsequently approved by the Federal Executive Council.
According to the President, the bills are designed to reorganize governance frameworks across health institutions by cutting down excessively large board memberships to boost efficiency, effectiveness, and overall service delivery in the sector.
He noted that the proposed legislations cover a wide range of health institutions and regulatory bodies, including tertiary and teaching hospitals, speciality hospitals, professional councils, and regulatory agencies.
The amendment bills sent to the Senate are those relating to the National Hospital for Women and Children; Federal Medical Centres; National Specialty Hospitals Management Board; Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board; National Eye Centre; National Ear Care Centre; Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria; Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria; the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); and the National Blood Service Agency, among others.
The President listed other legislative proposals, including the Records Officers Registration and Digital Health Bill 2025 as well as the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Bill 2025.
Tinubu expressed confidence that the Senate would examine the bills thoroughly in the interest of reinforcing Nigeria’s health sector.
After the first reading at plenary, the Senate President directed all 24 bills to the Senate Committee on rules and business for further legislative processes.
