The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of a centralised drug procurement platform known as Medipool, aimed at reducing the cost of pharmaceuticals in Nigeria.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting. He explained that Medipool is a public-private partnership initiative, vetted by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, designed to aggregate demand from basic healthcare facilities and federal tertiary hospitals.
According to the Minister, the initiative will allow the government to leverage bulk purchasing to negotiate lower prices for essential medicines and ensure consistent supply across the country.
“In line with the President’s direction for Nigerians to have lower-cost drugs and better access to essential medicines, the Council has approved the establishment of Medipool,” Pate said. “It is a group purchasing organisation that would harness the federal government’s buying power to negotiate competitive prices and distribute quality healthcare products across Nigeria.”
He added that the platform is modelled after similar systems in countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. The Minister also stated that the initiative aligns with the government’s goals of supporting local pharmaceutical manufacturing and promoting import substitution.
In addition, the Council approved the procurement and installation of a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterisation machine for the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto. The equipment, valued at 2.3 billion Naira, is expected to enhance the hospital’s capacity to diagnose and treat complex cardiovascular conditions, including heart attacks and arrhythmias.
This is a major boost for Sokoto State and the entire North-West, as it would not only improve access to life-saving cardiac care but also help reduce outbound medical tourism,” Pate said.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming the nation’s healthcare system and ensuring that Nigerians can access advanced medical treatment within the country.
