By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives has passed for second reading, a bill seeking for an act to establish the National Ear Centre in Bende, Abia State, to tackle the hearing loss epidemic.
The proposed legislation is sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu and six other lawmakers.
Leading the debate on its general principles, one of the co-sponsors, Kama Nkemkanma lamented that hearing loss is not just a medical issue, but also a national development issue which requires urgent national intervention.
He said the bill was a deliberate intervention in the lives of millions of Nigerians who suffer, often silently, from ear-related diseases and disabilities.
He explained that hearing loss, chronic ear infections and other auditory disorders affect people of all ages—from infants struggling to develop speech due to hearing impairment, to the elderly suffering progressive deafness without access to audiologists or Ear, Nose and Throat, ENT, surgeons.
According to the lawmaker, the establishment of the centre is a strategic effort to expand access to specialised healthcare, foster medical training and build a national institution with the capacity to meet modern standards in otolaryngology—what is commonly known as ENT care.
The lawmaker said “hearing loss is not just a medical issue, it is a national development issue. According to the World Health Organisation, over 1.5 billion people globally live with some degree of hearing loss, and developing countries like Nigeria bear the heaviest share. Across Nigeria today, ENT conditions are among the most widespread but least understood and least treated ailments.
“Unfortunately, the country has only one National Ear Care Centre located in Kaduna. This singular facility is overstretched and cannot meet the growing national demand. As a result, diagnosis is delayed, treatment is fragmented and many patients resort to self-medication or informal solutions, often worsening their condition. The bill responds directly to these issues.
“It seeks to establish a second National Ear Centre, located in Bende, as a federal referral hospital and academic hub for ENT services.
“It is not a duplication; it is a necessary expansion. It is not a luxury; it is a response to a growing health burden. And it is not a regional project; it is a national commitment.”
