FG Charges Health Regulatory Bodies to Enforce Standards, Commissions RRBN South-East Zonal Office

The Federal Government has called on health sector regulatory bodies to reciprocate the restoration of their budgetary funding by strengthening standards of practice and enforcing compliance across the industry.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the appeal on Tuesday at the commissioning of the South-East Zonal Office of the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria in Enugu.
Dr. Salako recalled that when Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, professional regulatory bodies, including those in the health sector, had stopped receiving government budgetary allocations. He said the President swiftly reversed the policy in recognition of the critical role regulatory agencies play in safeguarding healthcare standards.
According to the Minister, health regulatory bodies now enjoy budgetary support, unlike their counterparts in other sectors, in line with the administration’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare system under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He emphasized that effective regulation remains central to quality healthcare delivery, warning that without proper monitoring and enforcement, quackery and unethical practices would thrive, ultimately endangering patients and undermining health outcomes.
Dr. Salako noted that his ministerial visits to agencies under his supervision, including the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria, upon assumption of office in October 2024, underscored the Federal Government’s resolve to provide optimal support to professional bodies as a pathway to delivering quality healthcare.
He charged the regulatory agencies to justify the government’s support by rededicating themselves to their statutory responsibilities, ensuring that professionals uphold the highest ethical standards while prioritizing patient welfare.
The Minister also assured that the Federal Government would intensify efforts to eliminate quackery, malpractice and negligence within the health sector, warning that offenders would face appropriate sanctions. He tasked the Radiographers Registration Board to take the lead in enforcing standards within radiography practice nationwide.
Dr. Salako expressed optimism that the newly commissioned zonal office would improve access to registration, licensing, compliance monitoring and continuing professional development for practitioners in the South-East and adjoining regions.
Describing the facility as a milestone in efforts to elevate radiography practice and patient care, he commended Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Governor of Enugu State, for his support to the health sector. He pledged sustained collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Enugu State Government to expand access to quality preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services without financial hardship.
The Minister further lauded the leadership of the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria, led by its Registrar, Mark Chukwudi Okeji, for delivering the project. He disclosed that funds for the completion and furnishing of the complex have been captured in the 2026 budget proposal, expressing hope for swift approval by the National Assembly to ensure the facility becomes fully operational.