The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for first reading a bill seeking to prohibit public and civil servants, including their immediate families, from patronising private healthcare and school facilities in Nigeria.
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‎The bill was sponsored by the lawmaker representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State, Amobi Godwin Ogah.
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‎Speaking at a press briefing after the bill was read for the first time on the floor of the House, Ogah described the “Private Institutions and Health Care Service Providers (Prohibition) Bill, 2025” as a “turning point in the history of our nation,” stating that it aims to restore confidence in public institutions and eliminate conflict of interest in service delivery by public officials.
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‎The lawmaker drew historical comparisons, referencing Nigeria’s founding fathers, including Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, who were all products of public or mission schools.
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‎He lamented the current trend of government officials relying on private and foreign services while public institutions deteriorate.
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‎According to Ogah, the continuous neglect of public institutions due to elite preference for private alternatives has led to “a shadow of their former selves, with little or no infrastructural development and fallen standards of services.”
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