The Association of Radiographers of Nigeria has issued a strong warning over what it described as a legislative attempt to undermine the radiography profession by transferring its statutory responsibilities to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Dr Musa Dembele, President of the association, raised the alarm during a press conference at the Kano NUJ Press Centre on Saturday.
He stated, “The Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026 (HB 2695) is not a reform but a targeted, calculated, and existential assault on the profession of radiography.”
Dembele further accused the bill of introducing a “jurisdictional override” aimed at dismantling the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria.
“This is a legislative execution of a profession that has served Nigeria for over 50 years,” he said.
Highlighting specific provisions, he pointed to Section 8(1) of the bill, which grants exclusive authority to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, describing it as “a legislative nuclear weapon” that effectively strips the Radiographers Registration Board of its mandate.
The association also criticized the bill for what it called “conceptual theft,” arguing that it redefines radiology in a way that erases radiography as an independent scientific discipline.
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“The bill seeks to legally erase radiography as an independent profession and subjugate radiographers to the disciplinary authority of a council composed of individuals with no expertise in radiographic science,” the association said.
On financial matters, the group accused the bill of promoting “extortion as regulation,” noting that it requires 70 per cent of practising fees to be shared with the Nigerian Medical Association.
“This reveals the true motive — financial colonisation,” Dembele added.
The association also expressed concern over HB 2699, the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria Amendment Bill, which it said aims to weaken the board from within.
It criticized the inclusion of medical doctors on the board as “a fundamental violation of the doctrine of professional self-regulation” and warned against excessive ministerial control that could politicize regulation.
Citing international standards, the association stressed that radiography regulation is typically profession-led in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and warned that Nigeria cannot adopt a substandard model that contradicts established norms.
The group therefore urged the National Assembly to reject the bill in its entirety and called for a stakeholders’ summit to create a harmonized regulatory framework that respects the co-equal status of all health professions.
“The association aligns with the position of the Joint Health Sector Unions, medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, and other critical stakeholders who have also rejected similar legislative attempts,” Dembele added.