The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to empower the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to establish academic programmes and award Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in clinical medicine, dentistry and related disciplines.
The upper chamber also advanced proposed amendments to the Act establishing the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), aimed at strengthening the agency’s institutional independence, operational autonomy, technical capacity and administrative flexibility.
Both amendment bills, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, were considered during Tuesday’s plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Leading the debate, Bamidele said the proposed changes to the National Postgraduate Medical College’s governing law would expand its mandate beyond conducting professional postgraduate examinations to include establishing academic programmes and awarding doctoral degrees.
He said the expansion would strengthen the relationship between specialist medical training, clinical research and advanced academic development.
According to him, the proposed legislation would provide a statutory framework for the college to contribute more directly to research capacity, clinical scholarship and specialised knowledge within the medical profession.
Bamidele added that the bill would empower the Senate of the college to develop and oversee doctoral programmes, subject to accreditation and regulation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
On the proposed amendment to the NSIB Act, the Senate leader said the changes were intended to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to investigate transportation accidents and incidents across relevant modes of transport.
He said the amendments would improve the quality and credibility of safety investigations and ensure that lessons drawn from them translated into practical preventive measures.
Bamidele also explained that the proposed changes would remove certain ministerial approval and recommendation requirements relating to the bureau’s appointments and administrative processes.
The Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewunmi, seconded the motion on the NSIB amendment, while the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, seconded the bill concerning the National Postgraduate Medical College.
Following deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced that both bills had passed second reading.
Akpabio referred the bill on the National Postgraduate Medical College to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund for further legislative consideration.
He also directed the Senate Committee on Aviation to handle the proposed amendments to the law establishing the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.