*Prof. Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, explains ‘Medipool’ is a group purchasing organisation for competitive pricing, and as a supplier of essential, affordable medicines, and other healthcare products across Nigeria

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The Nigerian Government has approved a new policy christened “Medipool” towards reducing costs of drugs and other medical consumables for consumers in the West African country.

绿帽献妻 reports the move said to be in line with the decisions reached at the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) meeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu chaired Monday, May 12, 2025, in the State House, Abuja, FCT.

Prof. Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare

Highlighting the fundamental objectives of the arrangement, Prof. Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, said Medipool is a group purchasing organisation for competitive pricing and to be a supplier of essential medicines and healthcare products across Nigeria.

Why Medipool, by Pate

Prof. Pate explained the government developed Medipool to consolidate the demands from basic healthcare centres and Federal tertiary hospitals, enabling the authorities to leverage bulk purchasing power to lower medical costs in the economy.

The Minister also said: 鈥淭oday, council approved Medipool; it鈥檚 a group purchasing organisation for competitive pricing and to be supplier of essential medicines and healthcare products across Nigeria.

“Through the Federal Government鈥檚 intervention, the basic healthcare provision fund, but also eventually outside that, through Federal tertiary hospitals, so that as a buyer, we can negotiate lower prices.”

He further stated: 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 using the monopsony power of the government as a large buyer of those commodities, negotiating lower prices and then channeling those commodities.”

On support for local manufacturers, import substitution

The Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare noted: 鈥淎nd the scope includes, but it鈥檚 not limited to procurement planning, distribution monitoring, supply chain, logistics management, quality assurance, regulatory compliance.

“It is well to ensure 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.

“This is 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.鈥�

According to Pate, the Medipool model is benchmarked against similar initiatives in countries, such as Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.

The Minister emphasised the current administration aims to support local manufacturing, promote import substitution, and ensure that Nigerian consumers have access to high-quality, affordable medicines.

N2.3bn Cardiac catheterisation machine for Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital

In a related development, the Federal Government 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, Northern Nigeria.

The Minister said the provision was essentially to help the University hospital to provide diagnosis and treatment services for heart and blood vessel problems, heart attacks, and irregular heart rates.

Pate explained: 鈥淭he 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.”

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