The Nigerian government has revealed that it is committed to study and implement recommendations presented in a report by the Committee on Establishment of National Healthcare Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA).
The country’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare said it validates the importance of the overarching objective for setting up the proposed Agency.
Dr. Iziaq Salako revealed these while receiving the report from the agency.
The body is mandated to provide a framework for the establishment of a National Healthcare Facility Regulatory Agency NHFRA.
In a press release by the Health Ministry, issued by the Director, Press and Public Relations on Thursday, Dr. Salako said the government understood the need to have an independent body that will address the gaps of standards and quality existing in health sector.
“The whole essence is for us to proof that these are standards of practice in the country and have a body that can support states in their regulatory activities in registering facilities, and have some levels of monitoring of compliance to set rules”, he said.
The Minister promised professional bodies within the Health Sector that NHFRA will not be a mechanism to witch-hunt any professional leader or take up the work of an existing regulatory body.
Permanent Secretary of the health ministry, Daju Kachollom mni, acknowledged the timeliness of the NHFRA, describing it as a visionary response to longstanding gaps in regulating both public and private healthcare facilities across the country.
Represented by Pharmacist Olubunmi Aribeana Director Food & Drugs Department of the Ministry, she commended the Dr. Richardson Ajayi led committee whose work began in September 2024, culminating in a comprehensive report that not only outlines the framework for NHFRA, but also includes a draft establishment deal, resource mobilisation plan and implementation strategy.
Presenting the report, the Chairman Committee for the Establishment of National Healthcare Facility Regulatory Agency NHFRA Dr. Richardson Ajayi said the proposed regulatory agency aligns with the government’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage UHC and the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs) by ensuring that all healthcare facilities meet fundamental standards of care.