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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate on Wednesday began consideration of a bill seeking to repeal and re-enact the National Primary Health Care Development Agency Act to provide a more comprehensive and responsive framework for the delivery of equitable and accessible health services across the country.
The proposed legislation, titled National Primary Health Care Development Agency (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 900), was sponsored by Solomon Olamilekan Adeola.
Leading the debate in plenary, Adeola said the bill aims to reposition the agency as the driver of universal access to quality primary health care, in line with Nigeria’s health sector reforms and global best practices.
According to him, “Primary health care remains the foundation of every functional health system because it is the closest form of healthcare service available to the people — the first point of contact for preventive, promotive, and basic curative services.”
He explained that the existing Act, which established the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in the early 1990s, has become obsolete and unable to respond to present-day health realities.
“The framework guiding the Agency’s operations no longer aligns with contemporary realities. It neither captures the new realities of Universal Health Coverage, digital health integration, nor community health insurance,” Adeola said. “What we are proposing is a legal structure that promotes decentralisation, accountability, and community-led service delivery.”
The senator said the bill would “strengthen intergovernmental coordination between the federal, state, and local governments” and ensure sustainable financing through innovative funding mechanisms. It would also “facilitate the integration of technology, data systems, and health research in primary health care delivery.”
Adeola further emphasised that the proposed law seeks to empower Ward Health Committees and local partnerships to ensure that communities play a direct role in managing their health facilities.
“This bill is not just about restructuring an agency,” he stressed. “It is a deliberate legislative effort to bring health care closer to every Nigerian, particularly the less privileged, women, and children who bear the highest disease burden.”
He added that the re-enacted law would help Nigeria meet its commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being) and strengthen the country’s resilience against public health emergencies.
“Without a functional and well-coordinated primary health care system, no nation can achieve equitable growth or human capital development,” Adeola noted. “This bill represents our resolve to ensure that no community is left behind.”
The senator assured his colleagues that the legislation would not place any additional financial burden on the Federal Government, as the agency is an existing statutory body.
“In compliance with Order 76(3) of the Senate Standing Orders, the passage of this bill will not impose new costs on the treasury,” he said.
He, therefore, urged his colleagues to support thr passage of the bill in order to revamp the primary health care system in the country.
