Association of Radiographers of Nigeria (ARN) has rejected the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2026 currently before the National Assembly, describing it as a targeted and calculated existential assault on their profession.

According to the body the legislative attempt will erode the profession of radiography and transfer its statutory responsibilities to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

Dr Musa Dembele, president of the association, gave the warning while addressing a press conference at the Kano NUJ Press Centre on Saturday.

He said, “The Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026 (HB 2695) is not a reform but a targeted, calculated, and existential assault on the profession of radiography.”

He also described the bill as an attempt to introduce a “jurisdictional override” intended to dismantle the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria.

“This is a legislative execution of a profession that has served Nigeria for over 50 years,” he said.

Dembele pointed to Section 8(1) of the bill, which grants the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria exclusive authority, describing it as “a legislative nuclear weapon” that strips the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria of its mandate.

The association also accused the bill of “conceptual theft” by redefining radiology in a way that erases radiography as an independent scientific discipline.

“The bill seeks to legally erase radiography as an independent profession and subjugate radiographers to the disciplinary authority of a council composed of individuals with no expertise in radiographic science,” the association said.

On financial matters, the association accused the bill of promoting “extortion as regulation,” noting that it mandates that 70 per cent of practising fees be shared with the Nigerian Medical Association.

“This reveals the true motive — financial colonisation,” Dembele said.

The association also raised concerns over HB 2699, the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria Amendment Bill, which it said seeks to weaken the board from within.

It described the inclusion of medical doctors on the board as “a fundamental violation of the doctrine of professional self-regulation” and warned against excessive ministerial control that could politicise regulation.

The association stressed that globally, radiography regulation is profession-led, citing examples from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and noted that Nigeria cannot afford to adopt a substandard model that contradicts established international norms.

The association therefore called on the National Assembly to protect the integrity of the Nigerian healthcare system by rejecting the bill in its entirety.

It also called for a stakeholders’ summit to develop a harmonised regulatory framework that respects the co-equal status of all health professions, as obtained in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

“The association aligns with the position of the Joint Health Sector Unions, medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, and other critical stakeholders who have also rejected similar legislative attempts,” he added.

More than a quarter of a million people worldwide die from meningitis a year, a large new study estimated at the weekend, following a recent outbreak of the disease in the UK.

Children accounted for a third of the deaths, many of which were in Africa, according to research that described itself as the most comprehensive global assessment of meningitis yet.

The study, published in the journal Lancet Neurology, comes after meningitis made headlines when two people died during an outbreak believed to have spread at a nightclub in southeast England earlier this month.

Meningitis is an inflammation of tissues around the brain and spinal cord caused by infection with a range of different viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites.

Bacterial infections are both rarer and more deadly than viral ones.

It was a bacterial infection outbreak in the English county of Kent that prompted more than 10,000 people to get vaccinated in the area over the last two weeks.

Since 2000, the widespread availability of vaccines has brought down the number of meningitis cases and deaths across the world.

However, 259,000 people were estimated to have died worldwide in 2023, according to the new research by the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

The “African meningitis belt,” which stretches across the continent from Senegal to Ethiopia, had the highest rate of cases.

Nigeria, Chad, and Niger were particularly hard hit.

Low birthweight, premature birth, and air pollution were the biggest risk factors, the study found.

It also warned the World Health Organization was unlikely to reach its 2030 target for meningitis.

The WHO has a goal of slashing the global number of bacterial meningitis cases by 50%—and deaths by 70%—from 2015 levels by the end of this decade.

However, annual deaths and cases were only falling by half the rate needed to meet this target, the study found.

“Accelerated efforts—including expanding immunization, improving access to care, and strengthening diagnostics and surveillance—are essential to achieve these targets,” it said.

Many deaths from meningitis go unreported, particularly in developing countries, meaning that some figures could be underestimated, the researchers cautioned.

The study was based on figures from the Global Burden of Disease study from the IHME, which brings together thousands of researchers across the world and is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has unveiled Accelerator Cohort 3.0 as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s space technology ecosystem and support the growth of local startups.

The initiative will be a major highlight of the 2026 Nigerian Satellite Week scheduled to hold on March 30 and 31 in Abuja, where key players in the satellite and digital infrastructure sectors are expected to converge.

In a statement signed by Stephen Kwande, the Head of Corporate Communications, the company described the new accelerator as its most direct investment in building long-term competitiveness within Nigeria’s space economy.

According to NIGCOMSAT, the programme is designed to support early-stage ventures working across satellite applications, last-mile connectivity, agriculture, logistics and other areas where space-based technology can drive impact.

The company said previous cohorts of the accelerator had already contributed to developing innovative solutions and building the human capacity needed to position Nigeria for the next phase of the global space industry.

“With Cohort 3.0, we are making it clear that the accelerator is not a pilot project but a permanent feature of how Nigeria develops its space-tech companies,” the statement said.

NIGCOMSAT noted that the Nigerian Satellite Week has grown into a major platform for policy discussions, partnerships and investment in the sector.

The 2026 edition is expected to attract top government officials, defence leaders, development finance institutions and technology entrepreneurs from across Africa.

Jane Egerton-Idehen, managing director of NIGCOMSAT, said the event also marks two decades of Nigeria’s journey in the space economy.

“Twenty years ago, Nigeria took a bold step to secure its place in space. What we are seeing today is the result of consistent effort and vision,” she said.

She added that the company is focused on shaping the next phase of growth through innovation, partnerships and investment in local talent.

NIGCOMSAT also highlighted recent milestones, including a Low Earth Orbit connectivity partnership with Eutelsat, improved revenue performance and increased global recognition in satellite operations.

Other activities lined up for the event include a Startup Demo Day, where selected African startups will pitch their ideas to investors, and a stakeholders’ forum to discuss policies and infrastructure needed to scale Nigeria’s satellite economy.

The company said the initiative reflects the growing role of satellite technology in national development, particularly in areas such as communications, security and digital services.

NIGCOMSAT, established in 2006 and wholly owned by the Federal Government, provides satellite-based services including telecommunications, broadcasting and broadband across Nigeria and parts of Africa.