By Abbanobi -Eku Onyeka
Abuja
The Senate has received eight bills for first reading over two legislative days, with focus areas spanning health sector reform, national security, economic recovery, and agricultural development.
Thursday, Senate Leader, Sen. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele representing Ekiti Central, presented two bills. The first is the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards, etc) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, HB. 962, which seeks to amend the law guiding the composition of boards of federal teaching hospitals.
Sen. Bamidele also sponsored the National Rice Production, Processing and Research Institute Igbemo, Ekiti State (Establishment) Bill, 2026, HB. 584. The bill proposes the establishment of a federal institute in Igbemo, Ekiti State, to boost rice production, processing, and research.
Also on Thursday’s order paper, Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Jibrin Barau representing Kano North, presented two bills. They are the National Security Enhancement Bill, 2026, SB. 1063, and the National Economic Recovery Bill, 2026, SB. 1064, both read for the first time.
Wednesday, the Senate received four bills aimed at restructuring professional regulatory bodies in the health sector. All four were presented for first reading.
The bills from Wednesday include the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) (Amendment) Act Bill, 2026, SB. 1000. It seeks to reduce the number of members of the Pharmacy Council.
Also presented wednesday were the Nursing and Midwifery (Registration, Etc.) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, SB. 1001, and the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, SB. 1002. Both propose a reduction in the membership of their respective councils and governing boards.
The fourth bill from Wednesday is the Radiographers (Registration, Etc.) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, SB. 2003, which seeks to restructure the membership of the Radiographers’ Registration Board. All eight bills have been referred to relevant Senate committees for further legislative work.
