Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations on Thursday staged a protest at Unity Fountain in Abuja, voicing strong opposition to a proposed health sector reform bill currently before the National Assembly.
The demonstrators warned that the legislation could significantly alter the regulatory structure of Nigeria’s health sector, raising concerns about its potential impact on various professional bodies.
According to the protesters, the bill seeks to place all medical professions under the control of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, a move they argued would undermine the autonomy of existing regulatory councils.
They maintained that each healthcare profession already operates under its own statutory body and cautioned that the proposed law could relegate other professionals to a subordinate position within the sector.
The protesters further alleged that the bill is designed to make non-physician health workers “second-class” to medical doctors, a development they described as unacceptable.
They said they would proceed to the National Assembly complex to formally present their grievances to lawmakers and demand a reconsideration of the proposed legislation.
The protest follows an earlier notice by the unions of plans to stage a nationwide demonstration in Abuja over the Health Sector Executive Bills 2026, with healthcare professionals from across the country converging at the Unity Fountain in Maitama before heading to the National Assembly Complex.
