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Bill seeks to restore public confidence in education, health sectors
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Lawmakers want officials’ families restricted to public institutions
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Sponsor cites massive capital flight from foreign medical, education tourism
The House of Representatives has introduced a bill seeking to prohibit public and civil servants from using private schools and healthcare facilities in Nigeria.
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The proposed law, titled “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Public and Civil Servants from Patronising Private Schools and Health Care Services and for Related Matters (HB 2487),” was presented on Tuesday at the National Assembly.
Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, who sponsored the bill, said it is aimed at encouraging government officials and their families to depend solely on public hospitals and schools to strengthen these critical sectors.
Ogah described the legislation as a necessary step to reverse the steady decline in Nigeria’s public institutions. He argued that “leadership must lead by example for genuine reforms to take root.”
The lawmaker criticised the widespread preference of officials for private and foreign institutions, saying it has undermined the development of Nigeria’s education and health systems.
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“This bill intends to prohibit all public and civil servants, including their immediate family members, from patronising private schools and healthcarek services in order to avoid conflict of interest, maintain public trust and ensure uncompromised standards in public institutions,” Ogah told journalists.
He cited Nigeria’s founding fathers, including Sir Ahmadu Bello and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, as products of public schools, contrasting them with the present trend where public officials shun government institutions.
Ogah also decried the financial drain caused by medical and educational tourism, revealing that Nigerians spent over $29.29 billion on foreign medical treatment during Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and at least $218.87 million on foreign education in 2023 alone.
“If we have started the removal of petroleum subsidy, we must also enforce this bill to prohibit the patronising of private schools and healthcare services by public and civil servants,” he said.
He maintained that the proposed law would restore public confidence in government-run schools and hospitals while helping reverse the trend of top officials seeking medical care abroad.
Ogah called on Nigerians, especially the media, to support the bill as a pathway to revitalising the country’s public institutions.
