A new bill seeking to prohibit Nigerian public and civil servants from patronising private schools and healthcare facilities has been introduced in the House of Representatives. The proposal, titled “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Public and Civil Servants from Patronising Private Schools and Health Care Services and for Related Matters (HB 2487),” was presented on Tuesday by Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah.

Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly, Hon. Ogah said the bill is aimed at reviving public confidence in Nigeria’s education and healthcare sectors by ensuring that government officials rely solely on public institutions.

“This bill intends to prohibit all public and civil servants, including their immediate family members, from patronising private schools and healthcare services in order to avoid conflict of interest, maintain public trust and ensure high, uncompromised standards and integrity of our public institutions,” Ogah stated.

The lawmaker noted that the decline in the quality of public institutions has been worsened by the continued preference of elites for private and foreign options. He cited Nigeria’s early leaders, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Sir Tafawa Balewa—as examples of those who rose through public educational systems.

Hon. Ogah also decried the massive capital flight linked to medical and educational tourism. According to him, Nigerians spent over $29.29 billion on foreign medical treatments during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Additionally, $218.87 million was spent on foreign education in 2023 alone.

In contrast, Nigeria’s entire healthcare budget for 2024 was N1.336 trillion, significantly less than what citizens spend seeking care abroad.

“If we have started the removal of petroleum subsidy, we must also enforce this bill to prohibit the patronising of private schools and healthcare services by public and civil servants,” Ogah argued.

He expressed concern that this reliance on foreign services has rendered Nigeria’s public hospitals and schools a shadow of what they once were, with inadequate infrastructure and poor standards.

The proposed law, he said, would compel public officials to invest in and improve local institutions, while reducing the number of top government officials who seek treatment abroad, often with dire consequences.

Ogah concluded by calling on Nigerians and the media to rally behind the bill and promote a culture of accountability, patriotism, and institutional revival.