Reps Move to Ban Public Officials from Private Schools, Hospitals in Bold Accountability Push

A bill seeking to prohibit public and civil servants, including their immediate family members, from patronising private hospitals and schools has passed first reading in the House of Representatives.

According to sources familiar with the proceedings, the legislative proposal, sponsored by a federal lawmaker representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Constituency in Abia State, aims to compel government officials to utilize only public education and healthcare services while in office. The rationale, the lawmaker argued, is to ensure accountability and restore confidence in Nigeria’s deteriorating public institutions.

The bill, which sparked considerable debate on the floor, is designed to curb the widespread reliance of government officials on foreign and private services, which has reportedly contributed to the ongoing decline of the sectors they are expected to maintain and improve.

The sponsor of the bill lamented what he described as a double standard where public servants abandon public schools and hospitals for private alternatives—thereby weakening the systems they are meant to uphold. He noted that such practices encourage systemic underinvestment and public disillusionment.

During the session, figures were cited revealing that over $38 million was spent by Nigerians on foreign education in the first quarter of 2024 alone, while more than $1 billion is lost annually to medical tourism. The lawmaker described these trends as unsustainable, particularly in light of Nigeria’s ongoing fiscal adjustments following the removal of petrol subsidies.

He emphasized that public office holders must lead by example and subject themselves to the same public systems available to ordinary citizens. The proposed legislation, if passed into law, would make it illegal for serving public officers and their dependents to enroll in private schools or seek treatment in private hospitals, either within Nigeria or abroad.

The move is being seen as part of a broader legislative effort to reform governance by forcing accountability and promoting investment in national institutions that have long suffered from neglect.