President Bola Tinubu has submitted 24 health sector bills to the Senate on Tuesday for legislative consideration, in line with Section 58(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The bills were contained in a letter addressed to the Senate and read during plenary by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Tinubu said the proposed legislation was sequel to a comprehensive review of existing health sector laws carried out by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and subsequently approved by the Federal Executive Council.
The President said the proposed bills will streamline governance structures in its health institutions by reducing bloated board memberships, improve efficiency, effectiveness, and service delivery within the sector.
He said the bills focus on tertiary and teaching hospitals, speciality hospitals, professional councils, and regulatory agencies, among others.
The amendment bills transmitted to the Senate include 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.
Others are the Records Officers Registration and Digital Health Bill 2025 and the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Bill 2025.
Tinubu urged the Senate to give the bills careful and judicious consideration in the interest of strengthening Nigeria’s health sector.
After the bills were read at plenary, the Senate President referred all 24 bills to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
