Jane Salihu
The Senate has advanced 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, alongside proposed reforms to strengthen the independence of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The two amendment bills, sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, passed second reading during plenary on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Leading the debate, Bamidele said the proposed amendment to the National Postgraduate Medical College Act would expand the institution’s mandate beyond professional postgraduate examinations to include academic programmes and doctoral degree awards.
He explained that the reform would strengthen the link between specialist medical training, clinical research and advanced academic development.
According to him, the proposed changes would provide a legal framework for the college to contribute more directly to research capacity, clinical scholarship and specialised medical knowledge.
Bamidele also noted that the bill would empower the Senate to develop and supervise doctoral programmes, subject to accreditation and regulation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
On the proposed amendment to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act, the Senate Leader said the reform was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to investigate transportation accidents and incidents across relevant transport sectors.
He said the changes would improve the quality and credibility of safety investigations while ensuring that findings translate into practical measures to prevent future accidents.
Bamidele added that the amendment sought to remove certain ministerial approval and recommendation requirements from the bureau’s appointment and administrative processes to enhance its institutional independence and operational autonomy.
The Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewunmi, seconded the NSIB amendment bill, while the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, seconded the bill on the National Postgraduate Medical College.
Following deliberations, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, ruled that both bills had passed second reading.
The bill seeking to expand the academic powers of the National Postgraduate Medical College was referred to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund for further legislative consideration.
Akpabio also directed the Senate Committee on Aviation to drive the legislative process on the proposed amendment to the NSIB Act.
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