The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on doctors to take greater responsibility in the fight against quackery and unethical practices.
The NMA President, Prof Afekhide Omoti, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday at the association’s First Ordinary National Executive Council meeting of the 2026 National Officers’ Committee, saying efforts to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system must begin with the profession itself.
The meeting, themed “Transforming Healthcare Practice in Nigeria: Building Trust, Accountability and Collaborative Excellence,” brought together medical practitioners, government officials and other stakeholders to deliberate on the future of healthcare delivery in the country.
Omoti said tackling unqualified practitioners remained a priority but warned that doctors must also ensure that their own conduct meets the highest professional and ethical standards.
“The fight against quackery must remain a major priority. But while we fight external threats, we must also uphold the highest ethical standards within our own profession,” he said.
He said Nigeria’s healthcare system was facing mounting pressures from technological changes, evolving disease patterns, rising patient expectations, workforce shortages, migration of health professionals and growing concerns over patient safety.
According to him, confronting these challenges requires more than stronger regulation, stressing that trust, accountability, professional excellence and collaboration must become central to healthcare practice.
The NMA president said rebuilding public confidence would require doctors to demonstrate professionalism and place patient safety at the centre of their practice.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr Emeka Ayogu, also stressed the importance of professional standards and teamwork in improving healthcare outcomes.
“Standards define how we should practise, and teamwork defines how we practise together to deliver the outcomes we all want,” Ayogu said.
He noted that both principles were essential to protecting patients, strengthening professional integrity and improving public trust in the health system.
The Chairman of the NMA Federal Capital Territory branch, Dr George Ebong, described the association as more than a professional body, saying its members were united by a commitment to service and humanity.
He pledged the support of the FCT branch to the national leadership under Omoti, particularly in advancing doctors’ welfare and professional development.
The NEC meeting is also expected to deliberate on doctors’ welfare, professional development, healthcare policy and the future direction of medical practice in Nigeria.
The NMA’s position comes amid persistent concerns over quackery, professional misconduct and weak enforcement in parts of the health sector, with the association maintaining that stronger regulation must be matched by greater accountability among qualified medical practitioners.
