Doctors must lead fight against quackery, uphold ethics – NMA

resident of the Nigeria Medical Association, Prof. Afekhide Omoti. Photo: Idowu Abdullahi

The Nigerian Medical Association has urged doctors to take the lead in the fight against quackery and unethical practices in the health sector, stressing that efforts to protect patients must begin with maintaining the highest professional standards within the medical profession.

The NMA President, Prof Afekhide Omoti, made the call in Abuja at the association’s First Ordinary National Executive Council meeting of the new National Officers’ Committee for 2026 on Wednesday.

The meeting, which brought together medical practitioners, senior members of the profession, government officials and other stakeholders, has as its theme, “Transforming Healthcare Practice in Nigeria: Building Trust, Accountability and Collaborative Excellence.”

The meeting is coming amid persistent concerns over the quality and safety of healthcare delivery in Nigeria, including the activities of unqualified practitioners, unethical conduct, poor regulation, workforce shortages, migration of health professionals and declining public confidence in healthcare institutions.

The NMA has also identified quackery and professional misconduct as major threats to patient safety and the credibility of the health system.

Speaking on the theme, Omoti said the fight against quackery must remain a major priority for the medical profession, but stressed that doctors must equally examine their own conduct and professional standards.

He said, “The fight against quackery must remain a major priority. But while we fight external threats, we must also uphold the highest ethical standards within our own profession.”

The NMA president said Nigeria’s healthcare system was at a crossroads, with rapid technological advancement, changing patterns of disease, increasing patient expectations, shortages of healthcare workers, migration of professionals and growing concerns about patient safety placing additional pressure on the sector.

He argued that rebuilding public confidence would require more than confronting quackery, stressing that trust, accountability, professional excellence and collaboration were essential.

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The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr Emeka Ayogu, said the meeting’s focus on professional standards and team-based care was critical to patient safety, public trust and professional integrity.

Ayogu said, “Standards define how we should practise, and teamwork defines how we practise together to deliver the outcomes we all want.”

He said the two areas were interconnected and had profound implications for the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the NMA Federal Capital Territory, Dr George Ebong, described the association as more than a professional body, saying its members were united by service, sacrifice and commitment to humanity.

He pledged the support of the FCT branch to the Omoti-led national leadership, particularly in advancing doctors’ welfare and professional excellence.

The NEC meeting also provides the association with an opportunity to deliberate on the welfare of doctors, professional development, healthcare policy and the future direction of medical practice in Nigeria.

The NMA’s renewed emphasis on ethics comes against the backdrop of longstanding concerns about quackery in the Nigerian health sector, where unqualified individuals and improperly trained practitioners can expose patients to unsafe treatment and undermine confidence in legitimate healthcare professionals.

The association’s leadership has therefore stressed that while stronger regulation and enforcement are necessary to tackle quackery, medical professionals must also uphold ethical standards, accountability and patient-centred care within the formal healthcare system.