By Oluwakemi Kindness
The House of Representatives is seeking to regulate nutrition practice to protect Nigerians from harmful or misleading advice through a bill seeking to establish the Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria.
Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by Deputy Majority Leader Halims Ibrahim, stated this on Tuesday at a public hearing on the bill.
Abbas said the proposed law should strengthen professional competence, improve nutrition services and protect citizens from misleading advice.
“Ultimately, the measure of this bill will not be the creation of another institution but whether it strengthens professional competence, protects Nigerians from harmful or misleading advice and improves the quality of nutrition services available to the public,” he said.
He added that effective regulation could strengthen preventive healthcare, reduce avoidable health burdens and promote a healthier, more productive population.
Abbas commended the House committee and the Nutrition Society of Nigeria for spearheading the proposed legislation.
Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, Chike Okafor, said the hearing was organised to gather evidence and opinions from experts, citizens and other stakeholders before the bill is finalised.
Okafor said the committee had no predetermined position and would consider submissions both for and against the proposed legislation before making recommendations to the House.
“We will collate all opinions canvassed by you today, either for or against, before making our recommendation to the House in plenary for consideration,” he said.
He urged participants to contribute constructively to the legislative process, stressing the importance of making laws that serve the public interest.
