Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations are staging a protest at the Unity Fountain in Abuja over a proposed health sector reform bill before the National Assembly.

The demonstrators voiced strong opposition to the legislation, arguing that it could drastically alter the regulatory framework of Nigeria’s health sector. According to the protesters, the bill seeks to place all medical professions under the control of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, a move they say would undermine existing professional councils and create imbalance within the sector.

Each health profession currently has its own regulatory council, the protesters noted, warning that the proposed law could relegate non-physician professionals to a subordinate status. They alleged that the legislation is designed to make non-physician health workers “second-class” compared to medical doctors.

The health workers plan to proceed to the National Assembly complex to present their grievances and press for reconsideration of the bill. The protest, part of nationwide actions announced by the unions over the Health Sector Executive Bills 2026, is expected to draw healthcare professionals from across the country.