The Hon. Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has assured Nigerians of Federal Government’s commitment to take further measures toward ensuring and improving the storage sections in health facilities in the Country through Public Private Partnership (PPP).
The Minister made this known when the Director-General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Engr. Chidi Izuwa, paid him a visit recently, in Abuja.
Prof. Adewole noted that the ‘warehouse in a box’ project was aimed at promoting more efficient and integrated health sector supply chain management.
He further said that it would provide additional and effective storage of pharmaceutical commodities and improve the reliability of Nigeria’s logistics supply chain for Public Health Commodities and donor-funded commodities across the country.
He pointed out that the warehouses in Lagos and Abuja constituted a pride to Nigeria, adding that there was no excuse for not putting life into them.
He also said “Just as we were ruminating on how to manage the challenge, I got the invitation to go and visit the box in Abuja. After visiting it, I realised it was a box with a difference.
“These are first class facilities which I believe will help us in putting in place efficient national logistic supply system needed in the country’’
To this end, the minister received a Full Business Case Compliance (FBC) Certificate for the ‘Warehouse in a Box’ project from the ICRC. He also assured speedy approval of the certificate by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
He also expressed readiness to work with the ICRC in providing a cancer treatment centre in the country, through the availability of Public Private Partnership (PPP) payment model.
He stressed that PPP payment models were balanced transactions where the private sector was responsible for upfront capital expenditure, operations and maintenance.
“The PPP recovers investment via periodic payments by the government, backed by appropriate guarantees.’’
Earlier, in his remarks, Engr. Chidi Izuwa, expressed President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to deliver primary healthcare services in the country through a more efficient and integrated world-class health sector supply chain management PPP model.
He also said that issuance of the FBC certificate implied that the PPP procurement process had been transparently concluded with a preferred PPP that would manage the facility for the next five years.
In her welcome remarks, the Head, Public Private Partnership, FMOH, Dr. Omobolande Olowu, thanked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Global Fund and other development partners for providing funding and technical support for the project.
Mrs. Boade Akinola
Director, Media and PR
12/09/18.
