SENATOR ADEOLA’S BILL ON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PASSED

A bill sponsored by Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West) “the National Primary Health Care Development Agency Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 900)” has passed second reading stage preparatory for public hearing and eventual passage.

The Bill, among other things, seeks to repeal the existing National Primary Health Care Development Agency Act, and enact a more comprehensive legal framework that contemplates efficient coordination, accountability and effectiveness in Nigeria’s primary health care system.

Leading the debate on the second reading of the bill, Senator Adeola stated that
Primary Health Care remains the foundation of every functional health care system in any country, as it is the closest form of health care services available to the people adding that despite the existence of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) since the early 1990s, and in spite of its statutory mandate, the framework guiding its operations has become outdated, disjointed and inadequate to respond to present-day health challenges and realities.

“In view of the fact that the current law neither captures the new realities of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), digital health integration, nor community health insurance, there is a need to bring the Act up to date and reposition the Agency as a driver of universal access to primary health care” he argued.

He said other objectives of the bill is to provide for clear governance structure and performance-based management; promote community participation through Ward Health Committees and local partnerships; enhance coordination between Federal, State, and Local Governments in health care service delivery as well as facilitate integration of technology, data systems, and health research in primary health care.

The bill, was supported by Senator Tahir Mugono (APC, Borno South), the Chief Whip of the Senate and Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) and was overwhelmingly passed by the Senate for public hearing and other legislative process.