The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed three concurrence bills transmitted by the House of Representatives and advanced a separate bill seeking to establish a Federal Medical Centre in Arugungu, Kebbi State. The legislative actions were taken during plenary, with Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin presiding over the session.
Concurrence Bills Passed
The three bills passed for concurrence are the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Federal University of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology, Jos (Establishment) Bill, 2026; and the Federal Universities of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2026. These bills were transmitted to the upper chamber by the House of Representatives for concurrence. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti Central) presented the bills and urged lawmakers to support their passage. The Senate, sitting as the Committee of the Whole, considered and unanimously approved the three bills.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin commended senators for their cooperation and contributions to the legislative process.
Federal Medical Centre Arugungu Bill Advances
In a separate development, the Senate passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the Federal Medical Centres Act to provide for the establishment of the Federal Medical Centre, Arugungu, in Kebbi State. Leading the debate, Senator Abubakar Abdullahi (APC-Kebbi North) highlighted the importance of the proposed medical facility in improving access to quality healthcare and reducing medical tourism among Nigerians.
“We must build facilities capable of delivering quality healthcare to our people. This will reduce unnecessary overseas medical trips and strengthen our healthcare system,” he said. Mr Abdullahi expressed concern over the number of citizens seeking treatment abroad due to inadequate healthcare infrastructure within the country. He urged his colleagues to support the legislation, describing the proposed medical centre as crucial to improving healthcare services in Kebbi and neighbouring communities.
Following overwhelming support from senators, the bill scaled second reading and was referred by Mr Jibrin to the Senate Committee on Health for further legislative action. The passage of these bills underscores the Senate's commitment to legislative reforms and healthcare development in Nigeria.
