FG launches medipool to slash drug prices nationwide

The decision was reached during Monday’s FEC meeting, which President Bola Tinubu presided over at the State House in Abuja.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, described Medipool as a “group purchasing organisation for competitive pricing” that will consolidate national demand for medicines and leverage the government’s purchasing power to negotiate lower prices.

“Today, council approved Medipool. It’s using the monopsony power of the government as a large buyer of those commodities to negotiate lower prices and channel those commodities effectively.”

The new policy is expected to integrate procurement planning, distribution monitoring, supply chain logistics, and quality assurance, while also prioritising regulatory compliance and support for local manufacturers.

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“The scope includes not just procurement, but also capacity building, contingency planning, and ensuring availability of high-quality drugs Nigerians can access at a lower cost,” Pate said.

He added that the model draws from similar frameworks successfully implemented in Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.

The minister emphasised that Medipool aligns with the government’s goals to promote import substitution, enhance local manufacturing, and ensure consistent access to affordable, quality healthcare products.

In a related development, the FEC also approved a ₦2.3 billion contract to purchase a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterisation machine for the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.

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Pate said the equipment will revolutionise cardiac care in the region: “The university hospital in Sokoto will now have this capability... It will save lives and help reverse outbound medical tourism, enabling Nigerians to access life-saving procedures here at home.”

Both the Medipool initiative and the Sokoto equipment investment are seen as major steps toward strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system and reducing dependence on foreign medical services.