The House of Representatives committee on Specialty Healthcare has raised concerns that the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Abuja, has continued to receive public funds 15 years after its closure.

The Committee , which is currently probing the college established in 2008 as a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Health noted that it was shut down in 2010 following directives from the National Universities Commission (NUC), which cited non-compliance with academic standards.

Despite this, lawmakers say the institution has remained a recurring line item in the federal budget, with capital and recurrent allocations reportedly running into hundreds of millions of naira over the years.

Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, while opening the investigative hearing at the National Assembly, described the development as a matter of grave national concern. ?Institutions designed to serve the public good must not become vessels for administrative opacity or financial recklessness,? he said.

?That is why we are here to speak on behalf of the people of Nigeria, and we must get to the root of this matter. As we proceed with today?s hearing, we hope that your presentations and testimonies will provide the clarity needed to support the Committee?s final report. That report will form the basis for the House?s next legislative steps, whether they involve institutional restructuring, sanctions, or reforms?, he added

Abbas stressed that the investigation was important in restoring public confidence in governance and ensuring that public institutions are held accountable. The Speaker commended the Committee on Specialty Healthcare for organising the public hearing and called on all participants to approach the process with ?a sense of duty and candour that places national interest above all else.?

Alex Egbona, chairman of the Committee recalled that the House had on 7 May 2025 adopted a motion mandating a full investigation into the activities of the College bordering on allegations of unauthorised fund disbursement, continued budgetary allocation despite non-functionality, and non-compliance with provisions of the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Act of 2021.

He added that although the College has not functioned academically for over a decade, financial records show it continues to receive annual budgetary provisions. Petitions received by the Committee allege persistent financial impropriety involving officials of the Ministry of Health and the suspended management of the College.

?The Committee is aware that in 2008 the Federal Government established the College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health, but the College was later closed in 2010 following the shutdown of academic activities by the National Universities Commission,? he stated. (BusinessDay)

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