Senate moves to grant National Medical College power to award Doctorates

…Reviews Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act

A bill seeking to grant the National Postgraduate Medical College powers to award Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in clinical medicine, dentistry, and related fields has passed second reading in the Senate.

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The upper chamber, also, amended the Act establishing the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to ensure the agency enjoys institutional independence, operational autonomy, technical capacity, and administrative flexibility.

The amendment bills, sponsored by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, were considered during plenary in the Senate Chamber, National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Tuesday.

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Leading the debate on Tuesday, Bamidele explained that the amendment would empower the college to establish academic programmes and award Doctor of Philosophy in clinical medicine, dentistry, and related disciplines.
He added that the proposed expansion represents an important step towards strengthening the relationship between specialist medical training, clinical research, and advanced academic development.

He explained that the second and most significant provision “is the amendment of Section 2 to expand the College’s mandate. In addition to conducting professional postgraduate examinations, the College will be empowered to establish academic programmes and award Ph.D. in clinical medicine, dentistry, and related disciplines.

“This proposed expansion represents an important step towards strengthening the relationship between specialist medical training, clinical research, and advanced academic development,” he stated.

“It will create a statutory basis for the College to contribute more directly to the development of research capacity, clinical scholarship, and specialised knowledge within the medical profession.”

Bamidele explained to the lawmakers that the amendment “is necessary to match the College’s expanded mandate with clear academic responsibilities. The Bill, he noted, empowers the Senate to develop and oversee doctoral programmes under National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation and regulation.”

On the amendment of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act, Bamidele said the new amendment aimed to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to investigate transportation accidents and incidents across the relevant modes of transport.

He added that the amendment would improve the quality and credibility of safety investigations and ensure that lessons arising from such investigations translate into practical preventive measures.

Bamidele further added that the amendment sought to remove certain ministerial approval and recommendation requirements in the appointment and administrative processes of the bureau.
While Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewunmi seconded the amendment concerning the NSIB, Chip Whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Monguno seconded the amendment on the National Postgraduate Medical College.

After exhaustive debate, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio passed both bills for a second reading. The amendment on the National Postgraduate Medical College was referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund.

Akpabio, similarly, directed the Senate Committee on Aviation to drive the process of amending the Act establishing the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

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