President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to sign an Executive Order to significantly reduce the cost of drugs and pharmaceutical products in Nigeria. The Federal Government has secured a $1 billion grant from Afriexim Bank and foreign partners for medical industrialization. Health and Social Welfare Minister Muhammed Pate confirmed the recruitment of 2,497 medical doctors, nurses, midwives, and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) to bridge the health sector gap and enhance service delivery.The government has also initiated the construction of pharmaceutical-grade warehouses in 21 states in collaboration with drug management agencies. Two additional warehouses at the federal level are also underway, complemented by the installation of the Warehousing Management Information System (WMIS) – M Supply. This visionary project commenced in October 2023 and is slated for completion in March 2024, with a scheduled commissioning in April 2024.The government has also made significant strides in expanding health insurance coverage, enrolling about 750,000 more Nigerians in health insurance since the beginning of this administration. The implementation of WMIS is expected to significantly enhance accountability and transparency, ensuring the potency of public health medicines and other health commodities.
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