A Bill seeking to make first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training compulsory across homes, schools, workplaces and public institutions has passed its first reading in the Senate.
The sponsor, Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), confirmed this on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Abuja while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The Bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Provide for Mandatory First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Automated External Defibrillator Training and the Adoption of Good Samaritan Laws, 2024,” seeks to amend Section 17(3) of the Constitution.
READ ALSO: Senate Suspends Training Institute Bill, Raises Duplication Concerns
It also proposes nationwide legal protection for individuals who render emergency assistance, under Good Samaritan provisions.
Nwoko said the initiative aims to reduce preventable deaths from sudden cardiac arrest and other emergencies by ensuring immediate bystander response before medical help arrives.
He added that mandatory CPR, AED and first aid training, delivered through certified instructors, would strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response capacity and improve survival rates.
The Bill will proceed to further legislative stages in the National Assembly.