In a sweeping move to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s education and health systems, the House of Representatives has advanced a bold legislative proposal seeking to prohibit public officials and civil servants from using private schools and hospitals.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Public and Civil Servants from Using Private Schools and Health Care Services and for Related Matters (HB 2487),” was formally introduced on Tuesday and has since sparked nationwide debate.
Championing the bill, Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah addressed journalists at the National Assembly, describing it as a necessary sacrifice to save Nigeria’s ailing public institutions.
“This bill intends to prohibit all public and civil servants, including their immediate family members, from patronizing private schools and healthcare services in order to avoid conflict of interest, maintain public trust, and ensure high, uncompromised standards within our public systems,” Ogah stated.
He emphasized that just as the government had the political will to remove petrol subsidies, it must also demonstrate similar resolve in curbing elite reliance on private services that have historically undermined public infrastructure.
“If our leaders and top civil servants are required to use the same hospitals and schools as the average Nigerian, we will see urgent improvements in quality,” he added.
If passed, the legislation could mark a transformative shift in public accountability and potentially lead to increased investment and reform in public service sectors long plagued by neglect and underfunding.
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