President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 24 health-sector bills to the Senate, seeking legislative backing for wide-ranging reforms aimed at improving governance and service delivery in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The proposed laws were announced during plenary on Tuesday after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read a letter from the President to lawmakers.
Tinubu said the bills followed a joint review of existing health laws by the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, a process that was later endorsed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
According to the President, the reforms are intended to address inefficiencies within public health institutions, particularly by reducing oversized governing boards and strengthening accountability structures.
The bills affect a wide range of institutions, including teaching hospitals, specialty hospitals, professional councils, and regulatory agencies.
They cover organisations such as the National Hospital for Women and Children, Abuja, Federal Medical Centres, National Eye Centre, National Ear Care Centre, Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the National Blood Service Agency.
Also included are new proposals like the Records Officers Registration and Digital Health Bill, 2025, and the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Bill, 2025.
After the first reading, the Senate referred all 24 bills to its Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
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