NCDC Warns Against Parallel Public Health Institute, Cites Risk To Nigeria’s Disease Response
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
Nigeria’s public health authorities have warned that creating a parallel national disease control institution could weaken the country’s ability to respond swiftly to disease outbreaks, urging lawmakers to strengthen existing systems instead of duplicating them.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has urged the National Assembly to reject provisions in the proposed National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Zaria (Establishment) Bill, 2025, warning that it would duplicate the agency’s statutory responsibilities and undermine Nigeria’s health security.
Presenting the agency’s position at a public hearing on the bill, the Director-General of the NCDC said Nigeria already has a legally established National Public Health Institute under the NCDC Act, 2018, with the mandate to coordinate disease surveillance, outbreak response, emergency preparedness and implementation of the International Health Regulations.
The agency argued that establishing another institution with overlapping responsibilities could create leadership conflicts during health emergencies, increase financial burdens and weaken coordination with states, development partners and international organisations.
It noted that Nigeria’s successful responses to outbreaks including Ebola, COVID-19, Lassa fever, cholera and Mpox were built on a unified command structure.
While supporting efforts to strengthen public health capacity, the NCDC recommended investing in existing surveillance systems, laboratories, workforce development and emergency preparedness rather than creating a parallel bureaucracy.
It also backed upgrading the proposed Zaria facility into a tertiary teaching, clinical and research institution to complement, rather than duplicate, the NCDC’s work.
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