From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council, presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Monday, approved Medipool to ensure lower-cost, quality drugs and encourage local manufacturing.
The scope of Medipool includes procurement planning, supply chain logistics, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and financial management.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Ali Pate made the disclosure while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting.
According to Pate, the approval of Medipool, a new group purchasing organisation, is aimed at reducing the cost of essential medicines and expanding access to quality healthcare across Nigeria.
He said the move aligns with President Tinubu’s directive to ensure lower pharmaceutical prices and boost local drug manufacturing.
Pate said, “This has been work we’ve undertaken for many months. In fact, for almost a year and a half, the government has been trying various ways to reduce drug prices. Nigerians have been hurting due to rising pharmaceutical costs, which is a global challenge.”
He recalled that in June 2024, President Tinubu signed an Executive Order providing tax and tariff exemptions for the import of raw materials used in drug production to encourage local manufacturing.
The Medipool initiative builds on that effort by aggregating national demand and using the government’s purchasing power to negotiate competitive prices with suppliers.
“MediPool is a group purchasing organisation that will operate as a public-private partnership. It will serve as a national platform to supply essential medicines and healthcare products, beginning with the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and eventually extending to federal tertiary hospitals,” Pate explained.
The minister stressed that the platform had been benchmarked against similar models in Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia and vetted by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
“This is a major intervention that will shape Nigeria’s domestic pharmaceutical market, lower costs, ensure availability of high-quality drugs, and stimulate local production,” he said.
The minister said the council also approved a contract worth N2.3 billion for the procurement and installation of a cardiac catheterisation machine at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto.
Pate noted that the advanced medical equipment will improve the diagnosis and treatment of serious cardiovascular conditions such as heart attacks and irregular heart rates, serving not only Sokoto State but the entire North-West region.
“This investment will save lives, reduce the need for outbound medical tourism, and strengthen tertiary healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
“It is part of President Tinubu’s broader health sector transformation agenda, which includes modernising teaching hospitals and training capacity,” the minister said.
He added that the cardiac lab is one of several ongoing federal interventions aimed at expanding high-quality, specialised care across the country.