By Abbanobi-Eku Onyeka
The Senate is scheduled to consider bills seeking to reform postgraduate medical education and strengthen Nigeria’s transportation safety investigation framework during plenary on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
The proposed legislation is among several items listed for consideration, alongside reports on the protection of Nigerians from trafficking and human rights abuses in Libya and amendments to the law governing oil spill detection and response.
One of the major items on the Order Paper is a bill sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, seeking to amend the National Postgraduate Medical College Act, Cap N39, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Listed as SB. 1068, the bill is scheduled for second reading and seeks to reflect a change in the institution’s name while expanding its mandate to include the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Clinical Medicine, Dentistry and related fields.
If passed, the proposed amendment would provide a legal framework for the institution to assume the additional academic responsibilities outlined in the bill.
Also scheduled for second reading is the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act Amendment Bill, 2026, sponsored by Bamidele.
The bill, listed as SB. 1079, seeks to reposition the Bureau as an independent multimodal safety investigation authority and strengthen its institutional, operational and administrative mandates.
The Senate’s legislative agenda also includes the first reading of the Institute of Actuarial Professionals of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Senator Barau Jibrin, representing Kano North Senatorial District.
Two other bills listed for first reading are the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item, Bende (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Federal College of Education, Bende (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Both bills are sponsored by the Senate Leader, Bamidele.
The proposed bills are part of the Senate’s legislative business aimed at reviewing existing laws and establishing frameworks for institutions across the country.
