Abuja: Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector have called for urgent reforms of public health laws across states to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to epidemics and public health emergencies. The call was made during the inauguration of the Nigeria Subnational Public Health Legal Reform Guide, a practical framework designed to help states review laws and strengthen health security.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Interim Country Director of Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), Dr. Jenom Danjuma, emphasized that strong public health institutions can only function effectively when supported by robust legal foundations and governance frameworks. Danjuma described the initiative as a significant milestone in enhancing public health legal preparedness, explaining that this preparedness involves utilizing laws to build systems capable of preventing, detecting, and responding to outbreaks.
Danjuma traced the initiative to a national legal assessment conducted in 2019, which identified gaps in Nigeria’s public health legal framework and highlighted the need for state-level legal reviews. He noted that Nigeria’s federal structure distributes public health responsibilities among federal, state, and local governments, making state-level legal preparedness a crucial component of national health security efforts. The guide provides governments with a clearer pathway from legal assessment to reform, and then from reform to implementation.
He further stressed the importance of structured legal reform processes, recognizing that public health legal reform is a collective leadership responsibility involving public health professionals, policymakers, legislators, regulators, communities, and other stakeholders working together toward a shared objective of keeping Nigeria safe from epidemics. Danjuma emphasized the need for broader stakeholder engagement nationwide, noting that while some states had made progress, significant opportunities remain to expand and accelerate legal reforms across the country to strengthen health emergency preparedness systems.
Dr. Jide Idris, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), also stressed the substantial responsibilities states carry in protecting public health nationwide. Represented by Dr. Evaristus Aniaku, Deputy Director and Public Health Emergency Management Specialist, Idris stated that the guide would support efforts to modernize state public health legal structures. He highlighted that reforms would help states keep pace with emerging and re-emerging diseases, technological developments, evolving institutions, and Nigeria’s obligations under the International Health Regulations (2005).
Idris pointed out that legal reform extends beyond passing new laws to clarifying institutional mandates, improving surveillance and reporting systems, and enabling effective public health operations nationwide. He identified sustainable financing for health security at the state level as a major challenge confronting subnational preparedness and emergency response capacity across the federation. He expressed hope that the reform process would strengthen state public health operations centers, surveillance systems, emergency response personnel, and incident management structures across Nigeria.
The NCDC Director-General commended RTSL, technical experts, government institutions, and development partners for their contributions to developing the guide and advancing public health preparedness efforts. The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services, Mr. Amos Magaji, echoed the sentiment, stating that effective public health service delivery requires an appropriate legal framework to support implementation nationwide. Represented by Mr. Bassey Akiba, Magaji urged health practitioners and professionals working with communities to identify legislative gaps and propose amendments or new laws where necessary.
According to Magaji, practitioners confronting public health challenges are well positioned to provide lawmakers with practical evidence needed to shape reforms and improve service delivery outcomes. He added that such proposals could be channeled through the relevant committees of the National Assembly for consideration and possible legislative action to strengthen public health governance.
Presenting an overview of the guide, NCDC Legal Adviser to RTSL, Safiya Musa, explained that it outlined Nigeria’s constitutional and legal framework and available governmental legal instruments. Musa said the guide also detailed the legislative process, including first and second readings, committee consideration, third reading, and implementation following enactment of legislation by states. She emphasized that post-legislation activities such as dissemination, public awareness, capacity building, enforcement, and periodic review are essential for ensuring laws achieve their intended objectives.
According to Musa, practical resources contained in the guide include a subnational legal assessment tool, legal mapping tool, model public health security bill, and drafting guidance.