Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) staged a protest on Thursday, 26 March 2026, at the Unity Fountain, opposing a proposed health sector reform bill before the National Assembly.
The demonstrators voiced strong concerns over the legislation, warning that it could significantly reshape the regulatory framework of Nigeria’s health sector.
According to the protesters, the bill seeks to place all medical professions under the authority of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
They argued that such a move would weaken existing professional bodies and create an imbalance within the healthcare system.
The health workers maintained that each profession already operates under its own regulatory council, cautioning that the proposed law could relegate other healthcare professionals to a subordinate position.
They further alleged that the bill is designed to make non-physician health workers “second-class” to medical doctors.
The protesters said they would proceed to the National Assembly complex to formally present their grievances to lawmakers and demand a reconsideration of the proposed legislation.
The demonstration follows an earlier notice by the unions announcing plans for a nationwide protest against the Health Sector Executive Bills 2026 currently under consideration by the National Assembly.
In a communication obtained on Thursday morning, the unions said the protest would draw healthcare professionals from across the country, with participants converging at the Unity Fountain in Maitama before moving to the National Assembly Complex.
