The House of Representatives on Wednesday asked the Federal Ministry of Education to take immediate and decisive measures to strengthen health and safety protocols in all federal unity colleges, while addressing the situation at King’s College, Lagos.
Adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Akintunde Rotimi (APC, Ekiti), the House asked it’s Committees on Health and Basic Education to engage relevant agencies, including the NCDC, to assess and enhance infection prevention and emergency response measures in federal schools.
The House also asked the Federal Ministry of Health, the NPHCDA, and the NCDC to intensify diphtheria vaccination and awareness campaigns in schools across the country to prevent future outbreaks.
It also resolved to direct the Federal Ministry of Education to undertake an urgent and comprehensive review of health infrastructure in unity colleges and establish a clear and effective framework for responding to infectious disease outbreaks in educational institutions.
It said the NCDC should establish and implement a structured disease surveillance system within all federal unity colleges to ensure early detection and rapid response to infectious disease outbreaks.
It commended the Lagos State Government, the NCDC, and other health authorities for their swift and commendable response, and encourage continued collaboration between federal and state agencies to safeguard the health and well-being of students.
The House also said the Federal Government should provide appropriate compensation to the family of the deceased student, in recognition of the tragic loss suffered and the duty of care owed to students in federal institutions.
Leading debate on the motion, Rotimi expressed concern about the outbreak of diphtheria in the boarding house of King’s College, Victoria island Annexe in Lagos resulting in th death of a 12-yeas-old student and the hospitalization of several others.
Rotimi said data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Weekly Diphtheria Situation Report of 26th January, 2025, from week 19 of 2022 to week 04 of 2025, 24,804 confirmed cases of diphtheria were reported across 25 states in Nigeria.
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He said out of the 24,804 confirmed cases reported in the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Weekly Diphtheria Situation Report of 26th January, 2025, there were 1,269 fatalities across 18 states, with some states having as high as 80-83% Case Fatality Rate (CFR).
He said this unfortunate incident exposes significant lapses in infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in federal unity colleges and underscores the Federal Ministry of Education’s responsibility to ensure the health and safety of students In its institutions.
He acknowledges the prompt intervention of the Lagos State Government in activating an Emergency Operations Committee (EOC), isolating and treating affected students, and initiating a mass vaccination campaign to contain the spread of the disease.
He stressed the need for collaborative efforts of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and Lagos State in managing the crisis, while emphasizing the need for a comprehensive and proactive nationwide strategy for health and safety in schools.