Will Nigerian Lawmakers Pass New Bill Prohibiting Patronage of Private Schools, Hospitals By Public, Civil Servants to Law?

As a new bill seeking to bar public and civil servants and their immediate families from patronizing private schools and private hospitals scales second reading at the House of Representatives, a question that races through the mind of Nigerians today is this:Will Nigerian Lawmakers Pass New Bill Prohibiting Patronage of Private Schools, Hospitals By Public, Civil Servants to Law?

Jul 23, 2025 - 07:13
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Will Nigerian Lawmakers Pass New Bill Prohibiting Patronage of Private Schools, Hospitals By Public, Civil Servants  to Law?

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

As a new bill, titled the Private Institutions and Health Care Service Providers (Prohibition) Bill, 2025, passes second reading by the House of Representatives, public and civil servants and their families may be barred from patronizing private schools and hospitals in the country.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that the proposed law, sponsored by Hon. Amobi Ogah (Abia) scaled its second reading during Tuesday’s plenary.

The sponsor of the Bill, Ogah, while addressing journalists after the session, said the legislation aims to eliminate conflict of interest and compel government officials to fix and rely on the very public institutions they supervise.

In his words, “The time for us to tell ourselves the truth is now,” he declared. “We can no longer continue to inflict serious damage on the psyche of Nigerians by patronising foreign hospitals and private schools while the public alternatives decay.”

He contended that the public education system of the country produced the long roll call of  Nigeria’s first-generation leaders like Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Tafawa Balewa, among others, who all attended public schools.

He therefore described the current preference for private services among officials as “alien and unwholesome.”

He further added that the persistent exodus of public funds through medical and educational tourism has drained the country’s economy, despite the allocation of over ₦1.3 trillion to health in the 2024 federal budget.

“During Buhari’s eight-year administration, Nigerians spent at least $29.29 billion on medical treatments abroad,” Ogah stated.

“In just the first quarter of 2024, another $38.17 million was expended on foreign education. This must stop.”

The lawmaker emphasised that continued reliance on private services by public officials undermines public confidence in government institutions.

“We must restore dignity to our public schools and hospitals. It does not speak well of our country that our presidents and top officials are seen dying in foreign hospitals,” he said.

If passed into law, the bill would mark a turning point in Nigeria’s efforts to stem the outflow of funds from the health and education sectors and restore trust in public systems.

However, given the fate of similar proposals in previous assemblies, the bill faces an uncertain future.

OTN News recalls that previously a bill seeking to mandate Nigerian-trained doctors to practise locally for at least five years failed to pass, as did another seeking to restrict public officials from foreign medical trips.

Although Ogah remains optimistic. “This bill is about national integrity and sustainability. If our leaders must lead by example, this is where it must begin,” he said.

The bill is expected to proceed to the committee stage for further scrutiny before its third reading.

The question begging for an answer however remains: Will Nigerian lawmakers pass this bill targeted at rewiring the public education and health systems in the country to law?

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