The Federal Government of Nigeria has commissioned the expanded Abuja Premier Warehouse, a critical national health logistics asset designed to strengthen the storage and distribution of essential medicines, vaccines, and public health commodities across the country.
The facility is in addition to the 22 Central Medical Warehouses in 21 states supported financially by Global Fund to improve health care delivery in Nigeria.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on behalf of the Honourable Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom S. mni, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving commodity security, expanding storage capacity, and ensuring efficient distribution of life-saving health products nationwide.
Describing the project as a major milestone in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system, the Coordinating Minister, noted that the warehouse expansion, whose foundation was laid in April 2025, represents more than just infrastructure development, but will also enhance the efficiency of Nigeria’s health supply chain by ensuring that medicines, vaccines, and other essential commodities are properly stored and delivered to healthcare facilities in optimal condition, thereby safeguarding their quality, integrity, and potency.
He further highlighted that the expanded warehouse will serve as a strategic national asset, improve logistics efficiency, increase storage capacity, and support ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration, assuring stakeholders and development partners that Government would provide the necessary resources to maintain the facility and ensure its sustainability for the benefit of Nigerians.
The Coordinating Minister expressed profound appreciation to the Global Fund for its unwavering support in strengthening Nigeria’s health system and acknowledged the contributions of development partners and stakeholders, such as UNICEF, WHO,United States Government, Gates Foundation, the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), the Department of Food and Drug Services, the Department of Public Health, Land Designs Limited, and other partners whose collaborative efforts made the project a reality.
Professor Pate emphasized that their support extends beyond infrastructure development to advancing equity, access, and excellence in healthcare delivery and called for continued collaboration and expanded support to states across the federation to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare services for all Nigerians.
While reiterating the Ministry’s commitment to saving lives, reducing both physical and financial burdens associated with ill health, and ensuring improved health outcomes for all citizens, he noted that the commissioning of the warehouse demonstrates what can be achieved through effective partnerships, innovation, and collective determination.
“The facility will contribute significantly to Nigeria’s journey toward Universal Health Coverage and enhanced national health security.” Pate added.
Earlier in her welcome remarks presented by the Director, Food and Drugs Services Department, Dr Olufowobi Yusuf- Adeola mni, the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom S. mni described the expansion of Abuja Premier Medical Warehouse Project as a game-changer in Nigeria’s health care system, disclosing the Ministry’s ironclad commitment to more collaborations with willing partners to address healthcare infrastructural deficits and improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
Daju, expressed profound gratitude to Global Fund for supporting the critical project and was delighted with the presence of some key stakeholders and partners, at the event, including representatives from USG, WHO,CHAI, IHVN, GHSC-PSM, MEBS, CRS, CIPS, SOLINA, NCDC, NACA, AKESIS, C4SD, Gates Foundation,SWAp, MEDIPOOL, PVAC, MSH, DP World, and MDAs.
The Permanent Secretary said their presence underscores the strength of collaboration with the Ministry and inspires confidence that “together, we can achieve even greater milestones, noting that their contributions to Nigeria’s health sector have been instrumental to the modest achievements over the years.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Global Fund, Peter Sands, stressed the significant of supply chain in health care system, he said “You cannot have a health system in a country as big and diverse as Nigeria without a pretty sophisticated and robust health supply chain.”
He expressed happiness for being part of this crucial project and congratulated the Ministry and all, partners for the roles that everybody has played in making this happen , describing it as a crucial foundation for building a more prosperous, healthier, safer Nigeria.
The Deputy Representative Operations, UNICEF, Charles Opikoli Lolika in his remarks, appreciated the financial support by the Global Fund for the project, adding that the milestones represent UNICEF’s significant contribution to strengthening Nigeria’s health supply chain system by improving storage capacity, inventory management, commodity security and distribution efficiency, thereby supporting more reliable and equitable access to essential medicines, vaccines and other life-saving health commodities.
He announced that the expanded Abuja Premier Medical Warehouse and 22 State Medical Warehouses are expected to benefit the 149 Million people across the 22 states, including approximately 68 million children, adding that the partnership between Global Fund and UNICEF is supporting the upgrade of over 150 Primary Healthcare Centers to provide improved health care services for an estimated total of 150,000 people, including over 70,000 children.
Presenting Goodwill message, the Country Representative World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Pavel Ursu emphasized on consistency of government projects and Programmes and hoped that together the success of Universal Health coverage in Nigeria would be measured considering the achievements recorded so far in the health sector.
His words”And then I would like to say that we will be measuring together the success of the Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria. We know that there are very, very promising results already in place, but consistency will be needed to transform those early achievements into outcomes and measurable impact.”
Also speaking, the Representative of Gates Foundation said within the 19 years of the Foundation , emphasise were made on three aspirations, namely : reducing the death of women and children, eliminating deaths from infectious diseases, and reducing poverty, which is tied to the first and a couple of other sectors.
He noted that Commodity security is extremely important for goals 1, 2, and 3, and the warehouse, aligns very well with what the Foundation has been doing at the national and sub-national level, with strengthening the government system for commodities, and particularly improving last-mile delivery and improving visibility.
Ado Bako
Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations
16/6/2025.
