In a bold move to tackle the high cost of medicines and strengthen Nigeria’s local pharmaceutical industry, the Federal Government has introduced MediPool, a groundbreaking pharmaceutical policy initiative.
The announcement came on Monday through a video posted by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, via his official X handle, @muhammadpate.
MediPool, described as a Group Purchasing Organisation, aims to overhaul Nigeria’s healthcare procurement approach by combining demand, securing lower drug prices, ensuring product quality, and streamlining distribution using digital technology.
“With the approval of MediPool, President Bola Tinubu has once again demonstrated clear, courageous leadership in confronting the longstanding challenges of affordability and access.
“This initiative brings renewed hope to millions of Nigerians burdened by illness and the high cost of care,” Pate stated.
The minister emphasized that the GPO will leverage consolidated public sector purchasing power to secure cost-effective deals from local manufacturers. MediPool will function within a Public-Private Partnership framework.
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Initially, the platform will serve healthcare centers supported by the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, currently catering to over 37 million Nigerians.
Pate noted that the scheme will later expand to cover federal tertiary hospitals and eventually extend to private sector healthcare facilities.
“By leveraging the government’s monopsony power as a bulk buyer, MediPool will shape the domestic pharmaceutical market, reduce prices, and improve access, especially for poor and underserved communities,” he explained.
Pate further revealed that MediPool is an integral part of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain, a broader policy drive to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported medicines.
The government’s target is to manufacture at least 70 percent of pharmaceuticals consumed domestically and to grow the life sciences workforce from 20,000 to 50,000 full-time positions.
Pate cited MediPool’s foundation on earlier policy strides, including President Tinubu’s Executive Order issued in June 2024, which eliminated import duties on pharmaceutical raw materials to boost local manufacturing.
He highlighted rising international interest in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector, saying, “The policy had attracted global investment interest, noting that the European Investment Bank (EIB) had identified Nigeria as a promising hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing.”
In support of this, the African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank) has committed $1 billion to boost local production capacities for drugs, biologics, and medical equipment.
Among recent milestones aligning with MediPool’s vision are Codex Bio Limited’s Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit Complex in Ogun State, which is expected to produce 147 million test kits annually for diseases such as malaria, HIV, and hepatitis.
“Codex is also the first WHO-selected manufacturing partner for test kits in Africa,” Pate noted.
He also spotlighted Jawa Investments Limited’s new beta-lactam antibiotics plant in Lagos, designed to scale up local production of essential medicines like amoxicillin and clavulanic acid.
“These developments mark major steps toward achieving medicine security and affordability in Nigeria,” he added.
While ensuring local supply remains crucial, the minister underscored the importance of driving adequate demand to sustain the ecosystem.
“If executed well and effectively regulated, MediPool can anchor a healthy, self-sustaining pharmaceutical market that benefits not just Nigeria but the broader African continent,” Pate stressed.
By combining strategic policy, investment incentives, public-private collaboration, and innovation, MediPool is positioned as a cornerstone in the government’s mission to deliver accessible, affordable, and resilient healthcare for all Nigerians.
