Ondo moves to strengthen drug supply system

By Jimmysayo Adebiyi

The Ondo State Government has intensified efforts to strengthen its drug supply chain as the Senior Consultant to the Government on Pharmaceutical and Medical Investments, Dr Samuel Oluwaoromipin Adekola, called for strategic collaboration to improve access to medicines and enhance healthcare delivery across the state.

Adekola spoke on Tuesday during a familiarisation meeting with the management of the Ondo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency, where he stressed the need for stronger institutional cooperation to improve pharmaceutical investments and supply chain efficiency.

The consultant said the visit was aimed at understanding the agency’s operations, programmes and challenges in managing drugs and other health commodities in the state. He added that the meeting was also designed to identify areas where policy, regulation, investment and operational strategies could intersect to strengthen the pharmaceutical sector.

Adekola noted that effective management of medicines and medical commodities remained a critical component of any functional healthcare system, describing the agency as central to ensuring transparency, accountability and quality assurance in the procurement, storage and distribution of essential drugs.

He explained that improving these systems would not only enhance healthcare delivery but would also attract investors, development partners and pharmaceutical manufacturers interested in collaborating with the state.

According to him, pharmaceutical investments extend beyond infrastructure development to include modern warehousing systems, cold-chain management, efficient supply chains, digital inventory platforms and public-private partnership frameworks.

Adekola disclosed that the state government was targeting at least 70 per cent medicine security within the next two years, expressing confidence that the goal could be achieved through strategic reforms and cooperation among stakeholders.

Responding, the Executive Secretary of the agency, Pharm. Gbenga Lasebikan, welcomed the initiative and expressed readiness to collaborate with institutions committed to improving the state’s healthcare system.

Lasebikan said the agency had made significant progress in strengthening its operations, revealing that the Federal Government, with support from UNICEF, recently upgraded the agency’s warehouse facilities to improve drug storage and distribution.

He added that the agency had developed an efficient logistics system capable of delivering medicines to health facilities within 72 hours, noting that the development had significantly improved the availability of essential drugs across the state.