Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations on Thursday staged a protest at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, over proposed health sector reform bills before the National Assembly.
The demonstrators voiced strong opposition to the legislation, warning that it could significantly reshape the regulatory framework of Nigeria’s health sector.
The protesters alleged that the bill seeks to place all healthcare professions under the supervision of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, a move they described as unacceptable.
They argued that such a provision would weaken existing professional regulatory bodies and distort the balance within the sector.
According to the unions, each healthcare profession already operates under its own statutory council, stressing that the proposed law could subordinate other professionals to medical doctors.
They further claimed that the legislation would reduce non-physician health workers to what they described as “second-class” status within the system.
The protesters disclosed plans to proceed to the National Assembly complex to formally present their grievances and demand a review of the bill.
The unions had earlier announced a nationwide protest against the Health Sector Executive Bills 2026, with participants drawn from across the country converging in Abuja to press their demands.
