Ibrahim Suleiman
The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the proposed National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases (NIPHID), Zaria, Dr. Dalhatu Abdullahi Aminu, has dismissed objections to the institute’s establishment bill by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS), and the Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC), describing their concerns as the result of a misinterpretation of the proposed legislation.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the bill before the National Assembly, Aminu said the three organisations based their criticism on provisions contained in an earlier draft or on clauses that do not exist in the gazetted version currently under legislative consideration.
He maintained that the bill, sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, does not establish a parallel public health agency or duplicate the statutory functions of the NCDC.
According to him, the proposed institute is designed as a specialist tertiary institution focused on infectious disease clinical care, postgraduate training, and advanced research, while complementing the NCDC’s responsibilities in disease surveillance, outbreak response, and national public health coordination.
“The opposition is based on a fundamental misreading of the bill. The organisations appear to have analysed an earlier, superseded draft or an entirely different document,” Aminu said.
He cited Section 21 of the bill, which he said expressly states that the institute “shall not duplicate the statutory public health surveillance, outbreak response or national coordination functions of the NCDC.”
The same section, he added, provides for collaboration between the institute and the NCDC in specialist training, joint research, and outbreak investigation support whenever requested by the agency.
Aminu also rejected claims that the proposed institute would serve as Nigeria’s International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point, insisting that no such provision exists in the bill.
He further dismissed reports that the institute would establish zonal offices nationwide, explaining that the legislation provides only for its headquarters in Zaria, while allowing collaborative training and research units where necessary.
The acting CEO explained that the proposed institute represents the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre, Zaria, a facility with more than six decades of experience.
According to him, the institute will inherit the centre’s personnel, infrastructure, and institutional expertise, positioning it to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in infectious disease management.
He said the establishment of NIPHID would enhance the country’s health security by expanding specialist infectious disease care, advancing research, producing highly skilled professionals, and supporting national preparedness and response to disease outbreaks.
He also defended the funding proposal under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), describing it as modest and essential for specialist healthcare delivery, research, and workforce development.
Responding to concerns earlier raised by NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, during the House of Representatives public hearing on the bill, Aminu argued that a careful reading of the gazetted legislation reveals no provision empowering the proposed institute to coordinate disease outbreaks, conduct national surveillance, serve as Nigeria’s IHR National Focal Point, or exercise regulatory authority.
Idris had warned that perceived overlaps in the bill could create institutional conflicts and weaken Nigeria’s coordinated public health emergency response.
Aminu challenged the NCDC to publish its promised clause-by-clause analysis of the bill to facilitate objective public scrutiny and informed debate.
He also urged the NCDC, NIDS, and HSRC to review the authentic gazetted version of the legislation and engage constructively with its sponsors, stressing that Nigeria requires both a strong NCDC and robust clinical, training, and research institutions to strengthen the country’s public health system.
“The proposed National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases is intended to complement, not compete with, the NCDC,” he said.