Association Opposes National Health Facility Regulatory Agency Bill

The Healthcare Providers’ Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) has kicked against the proposed establishment of the National Health Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA).

It warned that the bill, in its current form, would worsen, rather than improve healthcare delivery in the country.

According to the association, creating the agency would add another layer of regulation, bureaucracy, and costs without demonstrable improvements in healthcare delivery.

At a press conference in Lagos, HCPAN national president, Dr Austine Aipoh, stressed that healthcare professionals support every genuine effort to improve patient safety, healthcare quality, accountability and clinical governance in Nigeria.

“We commend the sponsors of this bill for recognising the need to strengthen quality assurance within our healthcare system. However, after a comprehensive review of the proposed NHFRA Bill, HCPAN respectfully submits that the establishment of the agency is not the appropriate solution to achieving these objectives.”

Aipoh explained that the association’s position is not based on opposition to regulation, but on the need for efficient oversight without unnecessary duplication of statutory responsibilities.

Nigeria already has an extensive health regulatory framework. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, State Ministries of Health, the National Health Insurance Authority, and numerous professional regulatory councils established by Acts of the National Assembly are already empowered to regulate different aspects of healthcare delivery.

“These include the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria, and several other statutory bodies,” he noted.

He further warned that the NHFRA bill confers powers to inspect, accredit, certify, monitor, investigate, sanction, and enforce compliance across virtually all categories of health facilities—functions that substantially overlap with responsibilities already assigned under existing legislation.

If enacted in its current form, healthcare providers may be subjected to multiple inspections, accreditation processes, certifications, regulatory fees, and overlapping enforcement actions by different government agencies. Rather than simplifying healthcare regulation, the Bill is creating an additional layer of bureaucracy that will increase compliance costs without necessarily improving patient outcomes,” Dr Aipoh said.

He also expressed concern that the bill expands the agency’s powers to suspend accreditation, trigger the withdrawal of state licenses, impose sanctions, publish performance ratings, and appoint external inspection entities. In contrast, the relationship between these powers and the existing statutory mandates of professional councils and state regulatory authorities remains insufficiently defined.

“We respectfully submit that this approach may result in regulatory duplication, jurisdictional uncertainty, and avoidable administrative burdens for healthcare providers. Nigeria does not necessarily need another healthcare regulator. What Nigeria needs is stronger coordination among the regulators that already exist,” he added.