The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, summoned the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Adekunle Salako, to explain what is going on at the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Abuja. This follows reports suggesting possible misuse of public funds.
This call was made during an investigative session by the House Committee on Speciality Healthcare, led by its Chairman, Alex Egbona. The hearing was organised to dig deeper into claims about the poor running of the college and issues related to how funds have been handled there. Lawmakers had earlier agreed on May 7, 2025, to launch this probe after several worrying reports surfaced.
As part of their inquiry, the House also instructed the committee to look into why the National Universities Commission (NUC) ordered the school to stop its academic activities and why it has remained inactive for so long. There are also concerns that the college may have broken rules under the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Act, which was passed in 2021.
Egbona noted that the 10th Assembly wants to improve healthcare services across the country by using laws that support better management. He explained that this was why the committee was set up—to keep a close eye on institutions that offer specialised care, especially in traditional and alternative medicine.
The Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine was set up in 2008 under the Ministry of Health. However, it stopped teaching in 2010 after being told to do so by the NUC. Despite this, the college has continued to receive large amounts of money from the national budget every year. This includes funds for both capital projects and everyday operations.
Egbona revealed that his committee has received several complaints, with people accusing officials in the ministry and the college of misusing funds and making payments without proper approval. These allegations have raised serious questions about accountability and transparency.
He also pointed out that in 2021, the National Assembly passed a law to officially back the college and give it a proper legal standing to teach and train professionals in alternative medicine. Still, the institution appears to be ignoring key parts of this law.
“Given the minister’s supervisory role over the college, he is expected to appear before the committee to provide a clear account of the institution’s current status, including the continued release of funds despite its non-operational state, academic closure, and failure to comply with its enabling Act,” Egbona stated.
