By Adedapo Adesanya

The federal Government has approved a new policy known as Medipool, which targets lowering the cost of drugs and other medical consumables for Nigerians.

This was part of the decisions reached at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, said Medipool is a group purchasing organisation for competitive pricing and to be a supplier of essential medicines and healthcare products across Nigeria.

According to him, Medipool was developed to consolidate the demand from basic healthcare centres and federal tertiary hospitals, enabling the government to leverage bulk purchasing power to lower medical costs.

“Today, council approved Medipool; it’s a group purchasing organisation for competitive pricing and to be supplier of essential medicines and healthcare products across Nigeria, through the Federal Government’s intervention, the basic health care provision fund, but also eventually outside that, through federal tertiary hospitals, so that as a buyer, we can negotiate lower prices.

“So, it’s using the monopsony power of the government as a large buyer of those commodities, negotiating lower prices and then channeling those commodities,” he said, according to a statement.

Speaking further, the minister explained, “The scope includes, but it’s not limited to procurement planning, distribution monitoring, supply chain, logistics management, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, as well as ensuring that local manufacturers are supported, and import substitution and the financial management and payment systems, as well as capacity building and training and contingency planning to ensure steady availability of essential drugs that are the quality that Nigerians can benefit and at a lower cost through, a public private partnership.”

He noted that the Medipool model was benchmarked against similar initiatives in countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia, emphasising that the administration aims to support local manufacturing, promote import substitution, and ensure Nigerians have access to high-quality, affordable medicines.

The FEC also awarded a N2.3 billion contract for the procurement of a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterisation machine for Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.

The health minister said this will help the university hospital provide diagnosis and treatment services for heart and blood vessel problems, heart attacks, and irregular heart rates.

“The university hospital in Sokoto will now have this capability, which will serve the population in Sokoto State, the North West geopolitical zone of our country, and indeed the country. It will save lives, but also contribute towards reversing outbound medical tourism, because Nigerians will be able to access services that they were not able to,” he added.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A new rapid diagnostic test (RDT) production plant has been opened in Sagamu, Ogun State by Codix Bio Limited in a bid to strengthen healthcare manufacturing in Nigeria.

The Governor of Ogun State, Mr Dapo Abiodun, commended the company for choosing the state for the factory, which he described as a transformative leap to making the country a big force in the healthcare system.

“We are proud to commission Nigeria’s first large-scale rapid diagnostic test (RDT) production facility—Codix Bio Limited—right here in Ogun State.

“Located along the Sagamu Expressway, this state-of-the-art in-vitro diagnostics factory is only the second of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa and will produce over 147 million test kits annual for diseases such as HIV, Malaria, and Hepatitis B and C.

“This milestone marks a transformative leap in our journey to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system through bold investment, local innovation, strategic partnerships, and local manufacturing,” he stated.

With this facility, Codix Bio is now the first African manufacturing partner selected by the World Health Organization (WHO), SD Biosensor, and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) under the WHO Health Technology Access Pool (HTAP) programme.

This landmark designation places Codix Bio at the forefront of regional production for RDTs in Africa—solidifying its role as a key partner in strengthening global health security.

The new plant positions the firm within the scope of WHO’s technical support system, allowing for technology transfer, regulatory assistance, and sustained global collaboration.

Through the sublicensing agreement with SD Biosensor and MPP, Codix Bio will receive proprietary rights, technical know-how, and materials to legally develop and produce rapid diagnostic test kits based on SD Biosensor’s cutting-edge platform.

This technology enables the production of multipurpose rapid diagnostics adaptable to both pandemic and inter-pandemic periods marking a transformative milestone in increasing equitable access to healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

With the commissioning of this facility, Codix Bio is scaling innovation and it has positioned Nigeria and the African continent for self-reliant, sustainable healthcare solutions.

“With over 90 per cent of diagnostic kits used in Africa currently imported, this facility will significantly reduce our reliance on external supply chains, conserve foreign exchange, and create high-value jobs.

“This factory will help to solidify Nigeria’s position as a health hub in the continent and globally. This is a leap forward for our national and continental health security,” he affirmed.

“With this facility, we are not only boosting local production but also saving foreign exchange, creating jobs, and reinforcing our public health response capacity.

“We call on other investors to come onboard by producing other medical consumables needed by the various medical diagnostic groups,” the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said.

On his part, the WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, hailed the facility as a “game-changer” in Africa’s efforts toward disease control, health security, and public health advancement, saying it will improve access to timely and accurate testing and reduce dependence on imported rapid test kits.

The chairman of Codix Pharma Group, Mr. Sammy Ogunjimi, said, “We are delighted to unveil our second manufacturing plant today. But beyond infrastructure, we know that human capital is equally vital.”

He reiterated Codix Pharma’s support for regional integration frameworks, including the Africa CDC, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the African Medicines Agency (AMA).

“Once a product is approved by NAFDAC, it should move freely across Africa. Regulatory harmonization is essential to unlocking the potential of intra-African health trade,” he said.

By Dipo Olowookere

The Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has urged mothers in the state to join the state government and others like the World Health Organisation (WHO) to promote vaccination.

Speaking during the 2025 African Vaccination Week at the Comprehensive Health Centre in Isolo, Akure on April 24, 2025, Mr Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Special Adviser on Health, Professor Michael Sinmidele Odimayo, charged mothers to become immunisation advocates.

“Inform those ignorant about vaccination and its importance. Vaccination is a human right,” the Governor said, highlighting the state’s health priorities, including free Hepatitis B treatment and the expansion of the health insurance scheme.

Delivering WHO’s goodwill message on behalf of the Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, Dr Adebayo said, “The African Vaccination Week is a reminder of WHO’s commitment to ensuring every child has access to life-saving vaccines.

“Immunisation is a human right, and this year’s theme is a powerful call to action. We appreciate all caregivers and partners championing this cause.”

Business Post gathered that about 70 children were immunised and administered doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Rota vaccine, and Vitamin A.

To encourage continued participation and advocacy, all 70 caregivers received diapers as incentives and were recognised as immunisation champions.

One of them, a 30-year-old Ajibola Ibukunoluwa, said vaccination is a must, stressing that, “Immunisation reduces mortality in children, and I’ll keep encouraging others to get their children vaccinated. The vaccination week has helped raise awareness among mothers.”

Another caregiver, Mrs Hassan Olayinka, whose 9-month-old baby received the measles, yellow fever, and meningitis vaccines at the event, expressed her gratitude to the government, WHO, and partners for making the vaccines accessible and available to children in the country.

“Immunisation is a very powerful tool. It prevents children from falling sick. I am happy with the services I received today and will advise mothers in my neighbourhood to take it seriously. I thank the State Government and partners like WHO for organising this,” she stated.

The immunisation programme was organised by the state government through the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (OSPHCDA), in collaboration with WHO, Clinton Health Access Initiatives (CHAI) and UNICEF to mark the 14th African Vaccination Week themed Immunisation for all is Humanly Possible.