The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has cautioned the National Assembly against moves to establish several new health commissions in the ongoing review of the National Health Act (NH-Act) 2014, warning that the proposals amount to “avoidable bureaucracies” that will overstretch Nigeria’s already limited health resources.
In a statement jointly signed by its National Chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Igwekamma Ezeh, MAW, and National Secretary, Pharm. Omokhafe Ashore, FPSN, the association reacted to issues raised during public hearings by the House of Representatives on 18 November 2025 and the Senate on 24 November 2025.
The pharmacists said recent calls for the creation of a Surrogacy Commission, a National Accreditation and Standards Commission, a Tertiary Health Institutions Commission, and Sickle Cell Research and Therapy Centres across all six geopolitical zones and the FCT are unnecessary, legally redundant and economically unrealistic.
They noted that the NH-Act already established the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee (NTHISC) with the mandate to regulate tertiary hospitals, oversee accreditation, and handle matters relating to organ procurement and trafficking.
“The attempt to create three new commissions from structures already recognised in the NH-Act 2014 is unnecessary,” the ACPN stated.
“What Nigeria needs is stronger oversight and proper funding for existing statutory bodies.”
The association identified inadequate legislative oversight and chronic underfunding as the real gaps in the health sector, stressing that the NTHISC has never been fully empowered to discharge its responsibilities.
It also dismissed as “preposterous and unrealistic” proposals for seven new Sickle Cell Research and Therapy Centres, citing the poor financial state of national research institutions such as NIPRD and NIMR.
“Presently, NIPRD does not enjoy a recurrent or capital budget of up to ₦20 million per month,” the ACPN noted, describing poor funding as a major barrier to innovation.
It recommended establishing one central research centre and expanding therapy units within the 73 Federal Health Institutions as a more practical, cost-effective solution.
The association further highlighted what it called “systemic governance failures” at the Federal Ministry of Health, including delayed board reconstitutions in federal health institutions, non-inauguration of regulatory councils, inactive agency boards, and prolonged vacancies across the system.
It pointed to the ongoing JOHESU strike, which began on 15 November 2025, as evidence of long-ignored grievances and policy discrimination.
Urging the National Assembly to prioritise reforms that are realistic and affordable, the ACPN said strengthening existing institutions—not expanding bureaucracies—should be the focus.
National Chairman ACPN
“With scarce health funding, Nigeria must commit to reforms that genuinely serve public interest,” the statement concluded. “New institutions should only emerge when absolutely necessary for meaningful progress”.
Reporting by Niran Odufayo