The Niger State Government, through the Niger State Drugs and Hospitals Consumables Management Agency (NSDHCMA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies under the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), to ensure the uninterrupted supply of quality and affordable essential medicines to the citizens of the North-Central state.
The MoU signing ceremony for the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) took place on Wednesday at the manufacturing facility of Fidson Healthcare Plc, located in Ota, Ogun State.
This is the third Public-Private Partnership between State and Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturers facilitated by the Africa Resource Centre for Excellence in Supply Chain Management (ARC_ESM) in the last two years; the other two states being Yobe and Kaduna.
The signing ceremony was followed by a tour of the facilities of two of the companies in the partnership facilities – Drugfield Pharmaceuticals and Fidson Healthcare Plc.
The Niger State Government team was led by the wife of the governor, Dr Amina Abubakar Bello.
Other key representatives from the state included the Commissioner for Health, Dr Muhammad Makusidi, the Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Health, Dr Mohammed Gana, the Executive Director – NSDHCMA, Dr Mohammed Audi, and other senior government officials from the Ministry of Health.
The Niger State First Lady stated that she was elated to be present at the MoU signing ceremony.
She affirmed the state’s readiness to work with the Pharma Companies to ensure the supply of quality and affordable medicines to the people of Niger State and assured the companies that the state government would keep to the terms of the MoU.
An elated Dr Mohammed Makusidi remarked that the state government has shown its commitment to the success of the MoU as all the leadership of the Niger State Health Agencies were present at the MoU signing ceremony.
The pharmaceutical companies represented by the chairman of the PMG-MAN and the CEO of Fidson Healthcare Plc, Dr Fidelis Ayebae, appreciated the Niger State Government for keying into the partnership initiative while emphasizing the commitment of the local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to addressing the health agenda of the country.
He applauded the State government for adopting the PPP model which promotes patronage of the Local Pharma Companies and commended the Africa Resource Centre for Excellence in Supply Chain Management (ARC_ESM) for facilitating this opportunity.
The Senior Programme Officer, Health Global Development from the Nigeria Country Office of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Charity Chenge, opined that Nigeria can export its learnings from this PPP to other African countries on how to ensure the availability of health commodities at the last mile while managing the challenges and was delighted to witness the signing of the MoU with the Niger State.
She commended the role played by ARC_ESM in facilitating this partnership.
Through this initiative with the local pharmaceutical companies, the Niger State Drugs and Hospitals Consumables Management Agency aims to increase access to high-quality health services for its citizens by ensuring the constant availability of basic health care commodities across all its health facilities.
The distribution of these commodities to the health facilities across the State will be channeled through a distribution network to be handled by NSDHCMA.
The Africa Resource Centre for Excellence in Supply Chain Management (ARC_ESM) will continue to support this partnership by ensuring both parties adhere to the terms of the MoU.
The MoU signing was witnessed by the MD/CEO SKG Pharma Ltd, Dr Okechukwu Akpa, the Chairman/CEO Drugfield Pharmaceuticals, Pharm. Olakunle Ekundayo, the MD/CEO Bentos Pharmaceuticals, Pharm. Julius Ishola, the acting CEO Phamatex Industries Ltd, Pharm. Innocent Nduka, the MD/CEO Mopson Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Pharm Michael Oyebanjo Paul, the CEO ARC_ESM, Azuka Okeke, the Niger state lead/CHIPS lead at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Jasmine Jones, the Executive Secretary of PMG-MAN, Pharm Frank Muonemeh, and other representatives from the six local pharmaceutical companies involved in the partnership – Drugfield Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bentos Pharmaceutical Products Ltd, SKG Pharma Limited, Mopson Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Phamatex Industries Limited, Fidson Healthcare Plc.
