The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised objections to a proposed bill seeking the creation of a National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases, cautioning that establishing another federal agency with similar responsibilities could complicate Nigeria’s public health management system.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, presented the NCDC’s concerns on Thursday during a public hearing convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Infectious Diseases to examine the National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases (Establishment) Bill, 2025.
Although he acknowledged the importance of strengthening the country’s health security framework, Idris argued that the proposed institution would replicate functions already assigned to the NCDC under existing legislation, potentially creating confusion in decision-making and accountability during health emergencies.
“The core responsibilities proposed for the new institute are substantially the same as those currently assigned to the NCDC,” Idris told lawmakers.
He warned that the bill raises “serious concerns over duplication of mandates, institutional overlap, governance conflicts and fiscal sustainability.”
Established through an Act of Parliament in 2018, the NCDC serves as Nigeria’s national public health institute and is legally mandated to oversee disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory coordination, emergency preparedness, research, workforce development and compliance with International Health Regulations.
According to Idris, managing disease outbreaks requires a clearly defined command structure. He maintained that introducing another agency with similar powers could weaken coordination efforts and create uncertainty during public health crises.
He noted that the bill seeks to designate the proposed institute as Nigeria’s National Focal Point for the International Health Regulations while also assigning it responsibility for coordinating responses to infectious disease outbreaks—roles currently performed by the NCDC and recognised by international partners.
“Creating another federal institution with overlapping responsibilities would generate uncertainty over leadership, accountability and operational command during disease outbreaks,” he said.
The NCDC chief pointed to Nigeria’s handling of major public health emergencies, including Ebola, COVID-19, Lassa fever, cholera, meningitis, diphtheria and Mpox, as proof that the country’s disease control system has been built around a centralised command model.
Beyond operational concerns, Idris questioned the financial viability of creating a new institution that would require separate administrative structures, including headquarters, zonal offices, a governing council and additional personnel, at a time when government resources are under pressure.
He also expressed reservations about proposals to finance the institute partly through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, warning that doing so could reduce funding available for essential healthcare services.
Idris further stated that significant government investments have already been made in expanding the NCDC’s laboratory infrastructure, surveillance mechanisms, emergency operations centres, genomic sequencing capabilities and outbreak response systems.
According to him, setting up another agency to perform similar duties would duplicate existing investments and contradict ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to streamline public institutions.
Rather than creating a new organisation, the NCDC urged lawmakers to reinforce existing public health institutions and reconsider provisions of the bill that would establish what it described as a parallel public health command structure.
Idris disclosed that the agency had already submitted a comprehensive clause-by-clause review of the proposed legislation to the National Assembly, identifying areas where it conflicts with the NCDC Act of 2018.
“The issue before us is not whether Nigeria should strengthen its public health capacity. The question is whether that objective is best achieved by strengthening the National Public Health Institute already established by law or by creating another institution with substantially overlapping responsibilities,” he said.
Despite the NCDC’s concerns, supporters of the bill argued that the proposed institute would bolster Nigeria’s ability to prepare for future epidemics and other emerging health threats.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, described the initiative as an important step toward enhancing national health security.
READ ALSO: Hantavirus: NCDC Intensifies Surveillance, Says No Confirmed Case In Nigeria
Represented at the hearing by Bashir Zubair, Abbas said experiences from the Ebola outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic and recurring Lassa fever outbreaks had exposed weaknesses in Nigeria’s healthcare system and demonstrated the need for stronger institutions.
“A country of Nigeria’s population and strategic importance can no longer afford a reactive approach to disease outbreaks,” Abbas said.
He added that the proposed legislation would provide a framework for integrating disease prevention, surveillance, diagnosis, research and management within a coordinated national system while promoting locally driven scientific solutions.
Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Infectious Diseases, Mr Amobi Ogah, explained that the bill was partly informed by observations made during an oversight visit to the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre in Saye, Zaria, Kaduna State, where lawmakers identified substantial but underutilised infrastructure and expertise.
Ogah revealed that the Presidency had already approved plans to upgrade the facility into a public health institute and expressed confidence that the legislation would improve Nigeria’s capacity to prevent, detect and manage infectious diseases.
Lawmakers also considered the Tuberculosis Anti-Discrimination Bill during the hearing. The proposed legislation seeks to protect individuals living with tuberculosis from stigma and discrimination while encouraging early testing and treatment.
Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, development partners, professional associations and civil society groups participated in the hearing, presenting their views on both bills.
The debate comes as Nigeria continues efforts to strengthen its public health system after years of responding to recurring outbreaks such as Ebola, COVID-19, Lassa fever, cholera and Mpox. The eventual outcome of the legislative process is expected to influence the future direction of the country’s disease surveillance and epidemic response framework.