Michael Oche
Tensions are rising within Nigeria’s health sector as workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations staged a protest in Abuja over a controversial reform bill currently before the National Assembly.
The demonstrators, who gathered at the Unity Fountain on Thursday, voiced strong opposition to the proposed legislation, warning that it could reshape the balance of power within the country’s healthcare system.
At the centre of the dispute is a provision in the bill that seeks to place all medical professions under the authority of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. Protesters argue that such a move would erode the autonomy of other professional bodies and centralise control in a way they describe as unfair and destabilising.
Union leaders at the protest said the health sector already operates through multiple specialised regulatory councils, each overseeing its respective profession. They warned that merging these structures under a single authority could weaken professional independence and create systemic imbalance.
Some protesters went further, alleging that the bill is designed to elevate medical doctors above other healthcare professionals, effectively reducing non-physician workers to a subordinate role within the system.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the workers insisted that the proposed law must be reviewed to reflect equity and inclusiveness across all health professions.
The protest is expected to escalate, with the unions planning to move to the National Assembly complex to formally present their grievances to lawmakers and demand a reconsideration of the Health Sector Executive Bills 2026.
The demonstration follows an earlier notice issued by the unions, mobilising healthcare professionals nationwide to converge in Abuja in opposition to the bill.
As deliberations continue, stakeholders warn that failure to address the concerns raised could deepen divisions within the health sector and potentially disrupt service delivery across the country.
