Nigeria has taken a critical step towards closing years of mistrust in medical test results, with eleven laboratories across public, private, military and research institutions attaining the globally recognised ISO 15189:2022 accreditation, a development health officials say could remarkably reduce misdiagnosis, overseas sample referrals and preventable deaths.
Therefore, the certificates were issued by the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria in partnership with Sightsavers, led by Acting Registrar Dr Donald Ofili, marking what stakeholders described as a turning point for diagnostics in the country’s healthcare system.
For years , delicate laboratory confidence has forced Nigerian hospitals and wealthy patients to ship samples abroad before major treatment decisions, delaying care and increasing costs. Indeed ,that culture must change.
Abubakar Ahmadu,representing the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike said the accreditation signals the beginning of reliable medical decision-making within Nigeria.
“This achievement marks a milestone in our collective commitment to strengthening healthcare quality within the Federal Capital Territory,” he said, stressing that accreditation “is not merely a certificate; it is a global affirmation of competence, accuracy, reliability and adherence to internationally recognised quality management systems.”
He affirmed that the process required strict documentation, staff competence verification, equipment calibration and multiple layers of audits, adding, “It has not been an easy journey.”
Dr Ofili stated that the certification of eleven laboratories, including two military, two private, five public and two research facilities, as a defining shift in Nigeria’s health infrastructure.
“Today, we formally present ISO 15189:2022 accreditation certificates to 11 distinguished medical laboratory facilities that have successfully satisfied the stringent requirements for international accreditation,” he said.
According to him, the development goes beyond prestige and directly affects patient survival, improving diagnostic accuracy, disease surveillance and treatment outcomes.
“ISO 15189:2022 accreditation confirms competence, impartiality and consistent laboratory operations in accordance with internationally accepted standards. It enhances patient safety, supports accurate clinical decision-making and strengthens disease surveillance,” Ofili said.
He warned, however, that certification brings higher responsibility. “Accreditation is not a destination but a journey; sustaining it demands continuous audits, management reviews and staff competency development.”
Representing the Sightsavers Country Director, Prof. Joy Shaibu, Perpetua Ojoma Agbi said Nigerians can now trust local laboratory reports without doubt.
“When you say something has become world standard, it means Nigeria is on the map of the world and that we can go into any lab with our full chest and say a test that comes out of there is what it is, not what it’s not,” she said.
She explained that the organisation provided equipment upgrades and facility restructuring to meet international requirements and confirmed that more laboratories are still undergoing certification.
In academia, Prof. Sunday Akinde, representing the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, said improved diagnostics would directly reduce medical tourism and overseas sample shipment.
with diagnostics, then it will be very easy to manage health. We’ve had ailments that forced us to take samples out of the country because we lacked trust in our laboratory system,” he said, adding that the accreditation must be renewed periodically to maintain standards.
From the military sector, Anastasia Nkechi Ossai of the Nigerian Navy said the certification means military hospital test results are now internationally acceptable.
“The diagnostic results produced by the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospitals meet globally accepted standards and practices,” she said, describing the development as “a victory for Nigerian healthcare.”
Health stakeholders say the large overtone is national: if extended nationwide, the reform could shorten treatment time, strengthen epidemic response and restore public confidence in hospitals, effectively transforming healthcare outcomes from diagnosis to continuance.
