The Senate has adopted a bill sponsored by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) seeking to establish a regulatory framework for medical X-ray and imaging practitioners in Nigeria, strengthen professional standards and safeguard public health against the risks associated with ionising radiation exposure.
The proposed legislation, titled Medical X-Ray and Imaging Practitioners Council (Establishment) Bill, 2026 (SB 1070), aims to regulate the training, registration and professional conduct of practitioners in medical imaging, while ensuring that only qualified and duly registered personnel undertake relevant diagnostic and therapeutic procedures within their authorised scope of practice.
The bill was adopted on Tuesday following the Senate’s resumption of plenary after a short break, with proceedings presided over by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The bill had earlier been read for the first time on the floor of the Senate by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
Details of the proposed legislation, made available to The Sun, indicate that it seeks to establish the Medical X-Ray and Imaging Practitioners Council of Nigeria as the regulatory body responsible for setting standards, supervising professional training and overseeing the practice of medical imaging in the country.
The council would cover a broad range of specialists, including medical X-ray technicians and technologists, ultrasound technologists (sonographers), radiotherapy technologists, neuro-electrophysiology technicians and technologists, renal therapy technicians and technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologists, computed tomography (CT) technologists and cardiovascular technologists, among others.
A major public health objective of the bill is to promote the safe and professional use of medical imaging technologies, particularly ionising radiation-based procedures such as X-rays and CT scans.
Although these procedures are essential for diagnosing and managing diseases, inappropriate or unnecessary exposure to ionising radiation can pose health risks.
The proposed regulatory framework is therefore intended to strengthen professional competence, promote adherence to safety standards and improve accountability among practitioners responsible for operating medical imaging equipment.
It also aims to improve the quality and reliability of diagnostic services, protect patients and healthcare workers, and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s medical imaging services.
Under the proposed law, the council would be empowered to determine and periodically review the standards of knowledge and practical skills required for entry into the profession. It would also maintain a register of qualified practitioners and publish updated lists of registered professionals.
Other proposed functions include regulating medical imaging training programmes, conducting professional examinations, periodically accrediting training institutions and inspecting, regulating and accrediting medical imaging diagnostic clinics and laboratories.
The council would also assess and register foreign-trained graduates, develop a professional code of conduct and establish mechanisms for continuing professional education to ensure that practitioners remain abreast of evolving technologies and international best practices.
The SUN recalls that in March, the Association of Radiographers of Nigeria raised concerns over the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026 (HB 2695), warning against provisions it said could undermine the independence of radiography and transfer statutory responsibilities to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
The association’s president, Dr Musa Dembele, reportedly made the position known during a press conference at the Kano State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre.
Dembele described the proposed legislation as “a targeted, calculated, and existential assault on the profession of radiography.”
The bill adds to the more than 50 legislative bills Senator Kalu has sponsored since entering the Senate in 2019, according to figures associated with his legislative record.
During his first term, from 2019 to 2023, Kalu sponsored 25 bills, a record cited in assessments of legislative activity in Abia State and the South-East during the period.
Among the notable proposals associated with his legislative agenda are the Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill, which seeks to establish a national framework for electric vehicle adoption and encourage green-energy investment through fiscal incentives; the Social Welfare Service Bill, aimed at institutionalising a national social protection system to address extreme poverty; and the Tax Crimes Commission (Establishment) Bill, designed to strengthen tax administration and compliance.
Others include a constitutional alteration proposal on concurrent railway powers, which seeks to expand the role of state governments in railway development and operations, and the Federal College of Agriculture, Isuochi (Establishment) Bill, which proposes a federal agricultural institution in Abia State to support agricultural education, technology and productivity.
The adoption of the Medical X-Ray and Imaging Practitioners Council Bill represents another legislative intervention in the health sector, with its central objectives being professional regulation, improved standards of practice and the protection of Nigerians who depend on medical imaging for diagnosis and treatment.
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