Niger tightens grip on private health sector, issues ultimatum to unregistered facilities
The Niger State Government has given all private healthcare facilities operating in the state a one-month deadline to register and revalidate their operational licences or face sanctions, including closure and
The Niger State Government has given all private healthcare facilities operating in the state a one-month deadline to register and revalidate their operational licences or face sanctions, including closure and possible imprisonment.
The directive, announced by the Niger State Private Health Facilities Agency, forms part of a wider effort to sanitise the healthcare sector and eliminate substandard medical practices.
It applies to hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and maternity homes, with a focus on weeding out unqualified practitioners and ensuring that healthcare delivery at the grassroots adheres to ethical standards.
The Executive Chairman of the agency, Suleiman Abdullahi, said the move became necessary as private facilities account for over 60 per cent of healthcare service delivery in the state.
He added that the agency evolved from the former Private Health Establishment Board and serves as a key component of the state’s New Niger Health Agenda championed by the governor.
"Our immediate priority now is to chase after the bad guys, the unregistered ones. We want to sanitize the environment and make it secure for every Nigerian that resides in Niger. For us, operating outside the law is an offense. Safety comes first before any other thing," Abdullahi said in an interview with The Nation.
According to Abdullahi, the agency’s primary focus is not punitive revenue generation, but absolute patient safety while acknowledging the vital role these practitioners play, especially in rural areas, stating that the agency intends to support them rather than stifle their operations.
He added that to facilitate compliance, the state has digitized the registration process as every health facility owner is required to apply and pay through a newly launched web portal and upload relevant credentials, including Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration, professional association memberships, and up-to-date licenses from national regulatory bodies such as the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
Abdullahi said document verification will be completed within 72 hours, followed by a mandatory physical inspection of the facility’s structure, staffing, and environment within two weeks disclosing that the inspections will be conducted in collaboration with the state’s environmental protection agency and facilities that pass the inspection will be issued a temporary 30-day license, to be displayed publicly, while the original certificate is processed.
He added that the agency is establishing three zonal offices to ease the logistical burden for rural practitioners, with the Zone A office already operational at the Bida Local Government Secretariat.
Addressing the consequences of non-compliance after the deadline, the Executive Chairman warned that the agency's legal unit is fully prepared to prosecute defaulters.
