Health
FG, Global Fund inaugurate expanded Abuja medical warehouse
The federal government and the Global Fund on Tuesday inaugurated the expanded Abuja Premier Medical Warehouse (APMW) to strengthen the storage and distribution of health commodities nationwide.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, described the facility as a critical national asset that would improve commodity security and support the delivery of healthcare services.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, Mr Pate said the project aligns with ongoing reforms aimed at expanding storage capacity and improving the distribution of essential medicines.
“The significance of this project cannot be overstated, as it represents a leap forward in ensuring that public health products, vaccines and medical supplies maintain integrity,” he said.
He said the inauguration is to showcase achievements recorded through the partnership between the federal government and the Global Fund while reinforcing commitments to supply chain reforms.
Mr Pate assured the Global Fund that the federal government would provide the resources required to maintain the facility and its assets.
He noted that delays in the supply of health commodities could negatively affect service delivery, underscoring the importance of adequate storage infrastructure.
The minister commended development partners, including UNICEF and the Gates Foundation, for their continued support of Nigeria’s health sector.
“To the Global Fund, the support goes beyond infrastructure. It represents a commitment to a shared vision of equity, access and excellence in healthcare,” he said.
Mr Pate also urged officials responsible for managing the facility to ensure its sustainability through diligence, accountability and effective utilisation.
“Today’s commission is a reminder that with determination, partnership and innovation, we can overcome challenges and build a robust health system capable of delivering quality and affordable healthcare for all,” he said.
Successful collaboration
In her opening remarks, Ms Kachollom described the commissioning as a testament to successful collaboration among government, development partners and stakeholders.
Represented by the Director, Food and Drugs Services, Adeola Olufowolabi-Yusuf, she said the project demonstrated what could be achieved through collective commitment to improving citizens’ health and wellbeing.
“This moment is a testament to what can be achieved when government, development partners and stakeholders unite in the shared mission of improving the health and well-being of our citizens,” she said.
Ms Kachollom described the expansion of the warehouse as a game-changer for Nigeria’s healthcare system.
She expressed appreciation to the Global Fund for supporting the project and acknowledged UNICEF, the warehouse contractor and Land Designs Ltd. for their contributions to its successful completion.
Also speaking, Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said strong supply chains depended not only on infrastructure but also on people, systems and governance.
“It is not just about a building or available infrastructure. You need trained and committed people, good management and governance, technology and systems,” he said.
Mr Sands said the warehouse would provide a critical foundation for a stronger and more efficient supply chain capable of delivering essential health commodities when needed.
In his goodwill message, Charles Lolika, Deputy Representative, Operations, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said the expanded warehouse and 22 state medical warehouses would improve storage capacity, inventory management, commodity security and distribution efficiency.
According to him, the facilities are expected to benefit an estimated 149 million people across 21 states, including about 68 million children.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to The Global Fund for its generous funding support, which made this critical investment in health infrastructure possible,” he said.
Mr Lolika added that the partnership between UNICEF and the Global Fund was also supporting the upgrade of more than 150 primary healthcare centres across the country.
He said the initiative demonstrated the value of coordinated efforts among government, funding partners, implementing agencies and technical service providers.
The World Health Organisation Representative in Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, described the warehouse as a foundational investment for the country’s health system.
“When we think about the warehouse, this is a foundational element and building block for a health system, and it is definitely not to serve only three diseases,” he said.
Mr Ursu said the project reflected years of consistent implementation and commitment by stakeholders involved in its execution.
He commended UNICEF for successfully navigating the challenges associated with major infrastructural projects and delivering the facility.
Mr Ursu said stakeholders must sustain the momentum generated by the project to achieve measurable improvements in health outcomes.
Also speaking, Nkata Chuku, Deputy Director, Health Systems Strengthening, Gates Foundation Nigeria, said commodity security remained central to reducing deaths among women and children and combating infectious diseases.
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Mr Chuku said the investment aligned with the foundation’s efforts to strengthen health systems and improve last-mile delivery of health commodities.
He expressed optimism that the investment would improve the availability of critical commodities in health facilities across Nigeria and strengthen supply chain visibility nationwide.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the warehouse serves as a central hub for storing and distributing essential medicines, vaccines and other public health commodities.
Its expansion is expected to boost national storage capacity, improve inventory management and strengthen the distribution of life-saving supplies nationwide as part of efforts to upgrade 22 warehouses across 21 states.
The federal government has launched the National Guidelines for Public Procurement of Food and Related Services.
The framework introduces nutrition standards for food purchased with public funds as part of efforts to reduce unhealthy diets and curb the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.
The guidelines, unveiled on Monday in Abuja at an event themed “Public Procurement of Food: Promoting a Culture of National Wellness Through the Food Value Chain,” are expected to influence food served in public institutions, including schools, hospitals, correctional centres and military establishments, by setting evidence-based standards on nutrition, food safety and quality.
Delivering his keynote address at the launch, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said the initiative marks a shift from viewing public procurement as a routine administrative process to using it as a strategic tool to improve public health and national development.
“When the government demands healthier, safer and more nutritious food, it creates incentives for the entire food system to innovate, improve quality and align with higher public health standards,” he said.
Why it matters
Mr Salako said the government remains the country’s largest institutional purchaser of food, meaning procurement decisions have the potential to influence food production, consumer behaviour and nutrition standards across the food value chain.
According to him, the guidelines establish limits on sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats in foods procured by public institutions while encouraging balanced and nutritious diets.
He said the document complements existing national policies, including the National Guideline for Sodium Reduction, the Trans Fat Regulation and the 2023 National Policy on Food Safety and Quality.
Rising burden of unhealthy diets
Mr Salako noted that unhealthy diets contribute to about 7.2 million deaths globally every year, driven largely by excessive consumption of salt, sugar and unhealthy fats as well as inadequate intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
He revealed that the average Nigerian adult consumes between 3.9 grammes and 4.9 grammes of sodium daily, almost double the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended limit of 2 grammes.
Mr Salako added that increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has contributed to rising rates of obesity and diabetes, prompting the introduction of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax, while industrial trans fats have also been restricted under Nigeria’s Trans Fatty Acid Regulation.
“These measures are designed to control dietary patterns that fuel the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, placing enormous pressure on health systems, national economies and household incomes,” he said.
Child malnutrition remains a concern
Mr Salako also highlighted the country’s persistent nutrition challenges, noting that malnutrition remains a direct or underlying cause of nearly half of the deaths among children under five years.
He said the Nigeria Mini Demographic and Health Survey found that about four in every 10 Nigerian children under five are stunted, while nearly two million children suffer severe acute malnutrition annually.
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“These are not merely health statistics. They represent profound human capital challenges with significant implications for educational attainment, labour productivity, household prosperity, national competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.”
Implementation key
Mr Salako stressed that the success of the guidelines would depend on effective implementation rather than their launch.
He urged procurement and accounting officers across government institutions to ensure compliance, noting that procurement decisions influence health outcomes, productivity and public confidence in government.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would continue to promote disease prevention through healthier public policies as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
The federal government has said it is expanding funding, local drug production and research to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment while easing patients’ financial burden.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Usman Aliyu, said this on Saturday in Abuja at the Best of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Africa 2026 conference.
The conference, organised in collaboration with the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), has the theme: “From Global Discovery to Local Delivery: Driving Africa to the Cutting Edge of Cancer Care.”
Mr Aliyu said the government had introduced measures to make cancer care more affordable, although treatment remained beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
He said the Catastrophic Health Fund under the National Health Insurance Authority subsidised cancer prevention, diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for eligible patients.
He added that NICRAT operated the National Cancer Health Fund to support indigent cancer patients unable to afford treatment.
“These are initiatives by the government to support Nigerians suffering from this dreadful disease,” he said.
Mr Aliyu said the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain would promote local production of cancer medicines and improve access to affordable treatment.
He said experts at the conference would review landmark studies presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting and adapt proven innovations to African health systems.
“We are trying to domesticate expensive treatments by producing much-needed medicines locally and translating global research into action in our clinics,” he said.
Financial protection
Lolade Adewale, Special Adviser on Research and Innovation to the Minister of State for Health, said government was expanding financial protection for cancer patients through targeted insurance schemes.
Ms Adewale said the Cancer Health Fund and the Social Determinants of Health Fund would improve access to treatment for eligible patients.
“Within the next year, you will hear more about it,” she said, referring to efforts to strengthen cancer insurance coverage.
She said Nigeria had commenced three immunotherapy clinical studies for the first time, giving patients access to advanced medicines previously unavailable in the country.
According to her, medicines such as Nivolumab and Keytruda are now available through clinical trials at no cost to participating Nigerians, reducing the need to seek treatment abroad.
Also speaking, Immediate Past President of AORTIC, Miriam Mutebi, said Africa accounted for only about eight per cent of global cancer research.
She said the continent’s research output remained inadequate, especially for cervical and prostate cancers, in spite of their high disease burden.
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Ms Mutebi urged African governments to fulfil their commitment to dedicate one per cent of Gross Domestic Product to research and development.
She said stronger domestic investment would generate evidence to improve diagnosis, treatment completion, patient experience and health systems.
The Chief Medical Officer of ASCO, Julie Gralow, said many breakthrough cancer therapies had not been adequately tested among African populations.
Ms Gralow said the conference would help determine how global evidence could be adapted to African settings while addressing affordability and access.
She said the ASCO-AORTIC partnership focused on workforce development, clinical research and training the next generation of African cancer researchers.
According to her, the organisations will open the second round of the Sub-Saharan Africa Clinical Research Scholars Programme in October.
AORTIC Vice-President for North America, Abiola Ibraheem, said the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between cancer care available in high-income countries and Africa.
She urged African countries to work collectively to improve access to innovative cancer therapies through a continental approach.
Ms Ibraheem said participation had grown significantly since the inaugural conference in Ethiopia, attracting more countries, sponsors and stakeholders committed to advancing cancer care across Africa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference brought together oncologists, researchers, policymakers and development partners from across Africa and beyond.
Participants reviewed major scientific advances presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting and explored how they could be applied within African health systems.
(NAN)
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