The House of Representatives has started the process to regulate Nigeria's nutrition profession. They are pushing a bill to set up the Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria.
This bill, called “A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment of the Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria and for Related Matters,” passed the second reading during Thursday’s plenary. It was then sent to the right House committee for more examination.
Chike Okafor, a member from Imo State, is sponsoring the bill. It aims to create a body that will oversee nutrition practices in Nigeria. This includes registering, licensing, and regulating nutrition practitioners.
If the bill becomes law, it would set standards for professional practice. This means only qualified and certified nutritionists can work in this field. The law also aims to boost accountability, protect public health, and make nutrition programs more effective across Nigeria.
One important part of the bill is to create a national register for nutritionists and nutrition assistants. This register would be the official list of licensed professionals allowed to work in Nigeria.
The proposed council would also have the power to accredit schools offering nutrition training. They would review and approve academic programs to ensure graduates have the right skills and knowledge for Nigeria’s nutritional needs.
Mr. Okafor led the discussion on this bill. He called it a needed step to tackle Nigeria’s growing nutrition problems. He also noted that malnutrition and food insecurity are serious risks to the country’s development.
He pointed out that without a legal framework to regulate nutritionists, unqualified people can pretend to be experts. This puts Nigerians at risk of harmful and misleading practices.
“This Bill is not just a piece of legislation; it is a necessary response to a ‘ticking time bomb’ of malnutrition and food insecurity that threatens our national development and the wellness of Nigerian citizens,” he said.
He added that the bill would help protect the public by clearly defining who can work as a nutritionist. It also gives a clear difference between nutritionists and dietitians.
Mr. Okafor explained that the proposed council will not compete with the planned Dietitians Council. Instead, both will work together as they have different but related roles in healthcare.
He mentioned that dietitians mainly provide clinical nutrition for patients with diet-related diseases like diabetes and kidney issues. Nutritionists, on the other hand, focus on broader public health issues like maternal and child nutrition, food policies, nutrition research, and program implementation.
Mr. Okafor also assured his colleagues that the proposed council would run as a self-funding body. This means it won’t put extra financial pressure on the government, like other professional councils in Nigeria.
He believes that introducing legal regulations and professional standards will help remove the current gap that allows unqualified practitioners to thrive. This will also build public trust in nutrition services across the country.
After the second reading, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who was in charge of the plenary, sent the bill to the nutrition and food security committee for a closer look before it comes back to the House for more action.
If the National Assembly passes the bill and it becomes law, it is expected to improve accountability, enhance service delivery in the nutrition sector, and support government efforts to tackle malnutrition, food insecurity, and other nutrition-related health issues.
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