Jigawa sets up task force to crack down on substandard private health institutions

The Jigawa State Ministry of Health have launched a crackdown on illegal and substandard private health institutions across the state, warning that unaccredited institutions pose a direct threat to public safety.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting with provosts of health training institutions in Dutse, the Chairman of the North-West Health Commissioners’ Forum and Jigawa State Commissioner of Health, Abdullahi Kainuwa, announced the inauguration of a specialised Taskforce Committee on Private Health Institutions.

Mr Kainuwa said the mandate of the committee is to enforce regulatory compliance and shut down any institution failing to meet established legal standards.

“The forum is well aware of the illegal operations and substandard conditions in many private health institutions, and this will no longer be tolerated,” Mr Kainuwa, a medical doctor, stated.

Adding that “any school that fails to meet the set standards will be closed down by the committee. This enforcement exercise would be executed concurrently across all seven North-West states, warning that any proprietor (s) leaving Jigawa to neighbouring states to set up the institutions will not be spared.”

The Commissioner expressed alarm over the egregious conditions observed in several unaccredited schools, noting that some operate without permanent structures, qualified full-time faculty, proper laboratories, or basic clinical training equipment.

While acknowledging the vital role of private enterprise in supplementing public educational capacity, Mr Kainuwa stated that academic and professional rigour cannot be compromised when human lives are at stake.

“We recognise that the government alone cannot absorb every candidate, and there is a legitimate need for private institutions. However, any institution operating as a health school must truly earn that title,” he remarked.

Mr Kainuwa announced that sanctions would extend beyond the schools to corrupt or negligent regulators.

“We will query any regulatory agency that grants approvals without verifying facilities, faculty, and equipment on the ground. Anyone found culpable in issuing compromised licenses will lose their job.”

The surge of unregulated Health Institutions in Nigeria

Mr Kainuwa acknowledged that tens of thousands of secondary school graduates compete annually for limited slots in accredited public universities, nursing schools, and colleges of health technology.

This deficit has fueled a rapid proliferation of private health training facilities—many operating as unregistered, commercial enterprises lacking affiliation with regulatory bodies like the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) or the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN).

He said unregulated schools produced inadequately trained health workers, who are subsequently deployed into clinics, maternity homes, and pharmacies, directly contributing to misdiagnoses, medical errors, and compromised patient outcomes.

He said the northeastern states under the North-West Health Commissioners’ Forum task force represent a unified policy shift toward systemic oversight and public safety.

In his remarks, the chairperson of the Taskforce and technical adviser to the governor on health, Isa Surajo, announced the government’s pre-notice regarding the assignment and strategy for implementing the Taskforce’s activities.

This approach ensures that justice and fairness are upheld not only for schools, but also for parents and the wider community.

“As the guardian of the people, the government is committed to safeguarding dignity, maintaining trust, and ensuring fairness across all stakeholders in Jigawa State’s healthcare sector”, Mr Surajo said.