The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to empower the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to award Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in clinical medicine, dentistry and related disciplines.
The upper chamber also advanced proposed amendments to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Act aimed at strengthening the agency’s institutional independence, operational autonomy and capacity to investigate transportation accidents.
Both bills, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, were considered during plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday.
Leading debate on the medical college bill, Bamidele said the proposed legislation would expand the institution’s mandate beyond conducting professional postgraduate examinations to establishing academic programmes and awarding doctoral degrees.
He said the reform would strengthen the connection between specialist medical training, clinical research and advanced academic development.
“The proposed expansion represents an important step towards strengthening the relationship between specialist medical training, clinical research, and advanced academic development,” Bamidele said.
According to him, the amendment would provide a statutory framework for the college to contribute more directly to research capacity, clinical scholarship and specialised knowledge within the medical profession.
Bamidele added that the bill would empower the college to develop and oversee doctoral programmes subject to accreditation and regulation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He said the changes were necessary to align the college’s expanded mandate with clearly defined academic responsibilities.
The bill was seconded by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno.
On the NSIB Act, Bamidele said the proposed amendment was designed to improve Nigeria’s capacity to investigate transportation accidents and incidents across relevant transport sectors.
He said the changes would enhance the quality and credibility of safety investigations and ensure that findings translated into practical measures to prevent future accidents.
The Senate Leader also said the amendment sought to remove certain ministerial approval and recommendation requirements relating to the bureau’s appointments and administrative processes.
Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewunmi, seconded the NSIB amendment.
Following deliberations, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the National Postgraduate Medical College bill to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund for further legislative consideration.
He also directed the Senate Committee on Aviation to oversee the legislative process on the proposed amendment to the NSIB Act.