The Federal Government has launched Medipool, a new group purchasing organisation (GPO) designed to reduce the cost of essential medicines and medical consumables across Nigeria.

The initiative was among key decisions made at Monday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.

Speaking to journalists, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, said Medipool aims to consolidate demand from primary healthcare centres and federal tertiary hospitals. This unified purchasing power will enable the government to negotiate lower prices for critical health products.

“Council approved Medipool—a group purchasing organisation for competitive pricing and as a supplier of essential medicines across Nigeria,” Prof. Pate stated.
“With the Federal Government’s intervention via the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, and eventually beyond that, tertiary hospitals can procure more affordably using the government’s monopsony power.”

Beyond procurement, Medipool will also manage distribution, supply chain logistics, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and support for local manufacturers—an effort expected to promote import substitution and strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical ecosystem.

The initiative will integrate financial management, training programs, and contingency planning to guarantee the consistent availability of affordable, high-quality drugs nationwide. It is modelled after similar systems in Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.

In a separate development, the FEC approved a ₦2.3 billion contract for the procurement of a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterisation machine for the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.

Professor Pate said the equipment would significantly enhance the hospital’s capacity to diagnose and treat cardiovascular conditions such as heart attacks and arrhythmias.

“This investment will serve not only Sokoto and the North West but patients beyond the region,” he added. “It will also reduce outbound medical tourism by offering services Nigerians often travel abroad to access.”

Together, the Medipool rollout and cardiac equipment approval signal a renewed push by the Federal Government to improve healthcare access, affordability, and infrastructure across the country.