THE current protests by the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations in Abuja are not just another labour agitation. In response to the proposed Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, health workers are staging public protests in the FCT. In practical terms, the bill intends to subordinate nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, radiographers, and other allied professionals under a single council traditionally designed to regulate medical doctors and dentists. Each province has independent colleges—for example, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario regulates doctors, while nurses, pharmacists, and physiotherapists are governed by their respective colleges. Nigeria’s healthcare crisis requires thoughtful and strategic reforms, and the proposed bill, in its current form, falls short of that standard.

Source: Punch April 09, 2026 08:33 UTC