The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) is a Federal Government Statutory Regulatory Agency established by Act 11 of 2003 as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health. The Act broadly charges the Council with the core responsibilities of regulating medical laboratory services through registration and licensing of medical laboratories as well as practitioners, mandatory inspection, mentoring for quality improvement, accreditation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as certification of laboratory test kits and reagents.
With the benefit of hindsight, stakeholders in the field of medical laboratory services agree that, by enacting the MLSCN Act No. 11, the Government proved to be alert to its environment and sensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian public — most of whom had been calling for fresh statutory instruments and, therefore, greater impetus towards rejuvenating as well as regulating the sector.
This, the stakeholders believe, would enable the sector to deliver on its mandate — regulation for quality medical laboratory services that are both fit for purpose and in line with global best practices.
Restoring order to the sector
Before Act 11 of 2003 came on board and led the way for the recrudescence of medical laboratory services, practice and education in the country, the sector was groaning under the full weight of quacks who, quite astonishingly, felt that such a regulated sector — which is the backbone of modern healthcare — was equally an all-comers business, besides the menace of fake laboratory test kits, reagents and chemicals.
Thus the establishment of the Council marked a turning point: a deliberate, legally-backed effort to professionalise practice, protect the public, and anchor medical laboratory services to measurable standards of quality and safety.
The Council continues to strengthen health laboratory systems and professional practice for quality services through strategic regulation and accreditation.