The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to empower the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to award Doctor of Philosophy degrees in clinical medicine, dentistry and related disciplines.

The upper chamber also passed for second reading a separate bill seeking to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act to strengthen the agency’s independence and operational autonomy.

The two amendment bills, sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, were considered during plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday.

Leading the debate on the medical college bill, Bamidele said the proposed amendment would empower the institution to establish academic programmes and award PhDs in clinical medicine, dentistry and related fields.

The Ekiti lawmaker said the move would strengthen the link between specialist medical training, clinical research and advanced academic development.

He said, “The second and most significant provision is the amendment of Section 2 to expand the College’s mandate. In addition to conducting professional postgraduate examinations, the College will be empowered to establish academic programmes and award Ph.D. in clinical medicine, dentistry, and related disciplines.

“This proposed expansion represents an important step towards strengthening the relationship between specialist medical training, clinical research, and advanced academic development.

“It will create a statutory basis for the College to contribute more directly to the development of research capacity, clinical scholarship, and specialised knowledge within the medical profession.”

Bamidele said the amendment would also establish clear academic responsibilities for the college and provide a framework for doctoral programmes under the accreditation and regulation of the National Universities Commission.

He said the proposed changes were necessary to align the institution’s expanded mandate with its academic responsibilities.

The Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, seconded the bill.

On the proposed amendment to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act, Bamidele said the legislation was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to investigate transportation accidents and incidents.

He added that the changes would improve the quality and credibility of safety investigations, and ensure that findings translate into measures to prevent future accidents.

According to him, the bill also seeks to remove certain ministerial approval and recommendation requirements in the bureau’s appointment and administrative processes.

The bill was seconded by the Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewunmi.

After deliberations, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, referred the medical college bill to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund.

He also directed the Senate Committee on Aviation to handle the proposed amendment to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act.

The bills will undergo further legislative consideration before any proposed changes can become law.