• Says proposed council might duplicate current regulatory powers
• Fears invoice can undermine skilled requirements, endanger sufferers
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Institute for Dietetics in Nigeria (IDN) has urged the National Assembly to reject a proposed invoice in search of to determine the Nutritionists Registration Council of Nigeria, warning its passage might create competing regulatory authorities, weaken skilled requirements and expose Nigerians to inadequately educated practitioners.
The institute which helps statutory regulation of certified vitamin and dietetics professionals stated the proposed laws, recognized as HB 2659, would considerably overlap with the Dietitians Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2022, designated HB 515.
It referred to as on the House of Representatives to discontinue consideration of HB 2659 in its current type and urged the federal authorities and National Assembly to conclude the legislative course of for establishing the Dietitians Council of Nigeria.
Addressing journalists on the National Assembly premises on Monday, its National President, Tajudeen Olutope Ahmed, the institute maintained that Nigeria wanted a unified regulatory framework able to defending sufferers, establishing clear skilled requirements and stopping unqualified people from enterprise delicate scientific obligations.
“Nutrition and dietetic practice directly affect human health and, in many cases, human life,” the institute stated.
He harassed that errors in scientific vitamin administration might lead to deteriorating well being, everlasting incapacity or loss of life.
He added that certified dietitians and nutritionists-dietitians undertake dietary assessments, determine nutrition-related issues, present medical vitamin remedy and handle sufferers with situations together with diabetes, kidney illness, most cancers and extreme malnutrition.
According to the institute, these obligations require specialised schooling, supervised scientific coaching, internship {and professional} competency assessments.
“It is therefore dangerous to create a regulatory arrangement capable of granting professional recognition or clinical authority to persons who have not undergone the prescribed education in nutrition and dietetics, supervised clinical training, internship and professional competency assessment,” it acknowledged.
The IDN argued that establishing two councils with overlapping authority over skilled schooling, accreditation, registration, scientific apply and disciplinary procedures would introduce uncertainty into the regulation of vitamin and dietetics in Nigeria.
It warned that such an association might impose further prices on instructional establishments and healthcare suppliers whereas creating confusion over skilled {qualifications} and the scope of apply of various classes of practitioners.
The institute’s intervention comes amid a legislative debate over the suitable regulatory construction for professionals working in vitamin and dietetics, with the proposed HB 2659 in search of to determine a separate council for nutritionists.
The IDN stated the existence of two statutory regulators might complicate the administration of educational programmes, notably as a result of many related programs in Nigerian tertiary establishments are organised below the built-in self-discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Ahmed stated, “Most related educational programmes in Nigeria are established as departments or programmes of ‘Nutrition and Dietetics’.
“It would be impracticable for one council to regulate the nutrition component of an integrated programme while another regulates its dietetics component.”
The institute warned that universities, polytechnics and schools of well being sciences and expertise might face conflicting accreditation necessities, duplicated charges and uncertainty over the skilled recognition of their graduates.
It additional cautioned that sufferers, employers and healthcare establishments might wrestle to differentiate between skilled titles reminiscent of nutritionist, registered nutritionist, scientific nutritionist, dietitian and registered dietitian.
Such uncertainty, it argued, might lead to scientific obligations being assigned to people with out the specialised coaching required to carry out them safely.
The IDN additionally raised issues concerning the distinction between participation in vitamin science and qualification to practise as a regulated skilled.
While acknowledging the contributions of specialists in biochemistry, agriculture, meals science, physiology, drugs, pharmacy and public well being, it maintained that membership of a multidisciplinary scientific society shouldn’t routinely confer skilled competence to practise vitamin or dietetics.
The institute particularly referenced the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, which it stated had reportedly supported HB 2659, arguing that membership of a scientific organisation shouldn’t be handled as an alternative choice to prescribed skilled schooling and scientific coaching.
“Membership of a multidisciplinary scientific society must never be treated as automatic proof of professional qualification to practise nutrition or dietetics,” the IDN boss stated.
He defined that researchers and specialists from totally different educational backgrounds might make helpful contributions to vitamin analysis, meals safety, public well being and policymaking with out essentially possessing the scientific competencies required to evaluate sufferers, prescribe therapeutic diets or present medical vitamin remedy.
The institute added: “Multidisciplinary cooperation must not be confused with professional equivalence.”
Beyond the legislative dispute, the IDN stated Nigeria’s vitamin challenges, together with malnutrition, childhood stunting, maternal anaemia and diet-related non-communicable illnesses, required coordinated intervention by appropriately certified professionals.
It maintained that an efficient regulatory framework ought to set up minimal instructional necessities, outline protected skilled titles, specify the scope of apply and reserve high-risk scientific features for practitioners with the requisite {qualifications}.
“A regulatory law must protect patients, establish clear educational and professional standards, define protected titles and reserve high-risk clinical functions for persons with the requisite qualifications,” it acknowledged.
The institute cautioned lawmakers towards adopting laws that, in its view, might legitimise skilled encroachment or weaken safeguards supposed to guard sufferers.
It, nevertheless, emphasised that its place shouldn’t be interpreted as opposition to multidisciplinary collaboration in nutrition-related analysis, agriculture, meals techniques, public well being, schooling or coverage formulation.
Rather, it stated, the central situation was guaranteeing that skilled recognition and scientific obligations have been based mostly on verifiable {qualifications}, coaching and competence.
The IDN consequently urged the House of Representatives to halt additional consideration of HB 2659 in its present type and requested the National Assembly to keep away from establishing two statutory councils with competing or overlapping mandates.
It additionally referred to as on the federal authorities and lawmakers to finish the required legislative processes regarding HB 515 and facilitate its transmission for presidential assent.
The institute additional urged lawmakers to make sure that skilled titles, entry {qualifications}, scopes of apply and scientific features reserved for registered practitioners have been clearly outlined within the related laws.
“This is not a contest between organisations. It is a matter of public health, patient safety, professional integrity and responsible legislation,” the assertion added.
The IDN maintained that the overriding consideration must be the safety of Nigerians moderately than the institutional pursuits {of professional} organisations.
“Nigeria must not enact a law that creates parallel professional authorities, weakens established competency standards or opens the door for inadequately trained persons to undertake sensitive nutrition and clinical dietetic responsibilities,” it stated.
The institute urged the National Assembly and the federal authorities to prioritise a unified regulatory framework that will safeguard sufferers and be sure that solely appropriately educated, educated and competent professionals undertake regulated vitamin and dietetics apply.
The National Assembly’s closing resolution on the competing legislative proposals is anticipated to find out the construction of statutory regulation for the professions and the safeguards governing their respective areas of apply.
