Reps move to curb organ trade, push major reforms in Nigeria’s healthcare sector

By Christiana Ekpa

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has said the National Assembly is considering far-reaching reforms in Nigeria’s healthcare sector that will help save the lives of young Nigerians who, out of desperation, sell their organs for a pittance without understanding the health implications.
Abbas stated this on Wednesday at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Healthcare Services on seven health-related bills at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy Chief Whip, Rep. Ibrahim Isiaka, he said the proposed laws would address gaps in the medical system, strengthen ethical standards, and ensure uniform regulation across healthcare practices in the country.
“There is no doubt that the passage of these bills will directly impact the healthcare sector of our economy and save the lives of innocent young people who in desperation sell their organs for pittance, without the benefit of medical advice on the future implications of their actions on their health,” Abbas said.
The Speaker, who commended the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji, and members for their diligence, said the bills were part of efforts to build a more accountable and ethically compliant healthcare system in line with the 10th House’s Legislative Agenda.
The bills under consideration include one seeking to establish a regulatory body for organ harvesting, transplantation, and donations; another to create the Nigeria Surrogacy Regulatory Commission for the monitoring and supervision of surrogacy arrangements; and a bill to amend the National Health Act of 2014 to provide for a National Quality Accreditation Commission and a Federal Tertiary Health Institutions Commission.
Others are a bill to establish the Chartered Institute of Medical Dialysis Studies; a bill to amend the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency Act to improve efficiency; a bill to provide for the retirement age of health workers; and another to amend the National Health Act to prohibit and penalise organ trafficking.
Abbas described the proposed laws as critical to improving professionalism, curbing unethical medical practices, and standardising procedures across Nigeria’s health institutions.
“In sum, we are here today to formalise those unregulated or loosely governed areas of medical practice in Nigeria that continue to mitigate against our wellbeing,” he said.
The Speaker said the House was determined to close gaps in medical regulation, especially in sensitive areas like organ transplantation and surrogacy, which have so far operated with limited oversight.