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Ìlera L’orò: The Significance of a Pharma-Grade Facility in Effective Health Care Delivery
By Comrade Allen Sowore, Esq.
As part of the events marking his first 100 days in office, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on June 3rd, 2025, commissioned the newly upgraded Central Medical Stores—a Pharma-grade Warehouse—located along Ondo Road in Akure.
The term “Pharma-grade” was initially unfamiliar to me, not being a medical professional. However, witnessing its real-world impact firsthand was an eye-opening experience.
Following a brief ceremony featuring remarks from key stakeholders in the health sector, I joined the governor and his team on a tour of the facility. What I saw was impressive: a massive, compartmentalized, fully air-conditioned warehouse with pharmaceutical products neatly organized for optimal storage and safety.
Pharmaceutical warehouses like this one are essential in the safe storage of medications, vaccines, and other health-related commodities. This facility aligns with Governor Aiyedatiwa’s vision of making health care a cornerstone of his administration—ensuring access to safe, high-quality, and affordable medicines for all residents of Ondo State.
The importance of the upgraded warehouse was emphasized by several key stakeholders, including the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate (represented by Mrs. Celine Onunkwo, Coordinator of the National Product Supply Chain Management Programme), Pharmacist (Dr.) Amos Ayegbusi, Executive Secretary of the Ondo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency (ODHCMA), and the Special Adviser on Health, Professor Simidele Odimayo, ably represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Adeniran Ikumola.
With the active support of ODHCMA, the Pharma-grade Warehouse will play a crucial role in ensuring the consistent supply of quality drugs and health commodities to nearly 600 public health facilities across the state—at an affordable cost.
Going forward, the agency must play its role as the legal and operational base for the Drugs and Health Commodities Revolving Fund (DHRF) by prioritising bulk procurement from reputable pharmaceutical manufacturers to eliminate the scourge of counterfeit drugs—a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Reflecting on the unveiling of the Pharma-grade facility, I took stock of the broader health sector initiatives under Governor Aiyedatiwa’s leadership: the recruitment of health workers, approval of training and study tours for health practitioners to learn from best practices, including a visit to Zipline Distribution Centre in Accra,Ghana, approval of grade level 10 and above as entry point for medical doctors and other health professionals in the state civil service, upgrading of health facilities statewide, and the holistic improved health governance.
Crucially, sustained commitment and collaboration among state agencies—particularly the Ministry of Health, the Hospital Management Board (HMB), the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (OSPHCDA), and the Ondo State Contributory Health Commission (ODCHC)—will be essential to delivering accessible and efficient health care to the people of Ondo State.
As the Yoruba saying goes, Ìlera l’orò—Health is Wealth. This principle is at the heart of Aiyedatiwa’s OUR EASE agenda: ensuring life more abundant for the people.
Allen Sowore, Esq.
Senior Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Strategic Communication
June 4, 2025
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