By Johnson Umishi
As parts of efforts to further transform the healthcare infrastructure in the state, Governor Abdullahi Sule, has commissioned the newly upgraded twin pharma-grade warehouses at the Nasarawa State Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency (NASDSMA) complex in Lafia.
Commissioning the project on Thursday, Governor Sule restated the commitment of his administration to bequeat lasting legacies in the health sector.
The project, now rated by the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) as the 3rd best pharmaceutical warehouse in Nigeria and the top among peer states, is the manifestation of the administration’s commitment to revolutionizing healthcare delivery and combating substandard medicines.
“Today is a testament to our promise to leave Nasarawa better than we met it. This upgrade ensures medications are stored under optimal conditions, addressing the critical issue of poorly stored drugs which can become more dangerous than expired ones,” he said.
He traced the idea of the facility to the era of the first executive governor of the state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who sought to establish a medication warehouse, but confronted challenges with the contractor, until in 2011 when former governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura completed the building while still utilising it as a medical warehouse.
“The idea of coming in to establish what we have here today came in the year 2021, with the establishment of the law that brought about this agency. The regulator said something very important. Sometimes, you could have medications that have not even expired but based on the way storage and how these are handled, they could be even worse than expired medications,” he said.
While also tracing the success being recorded to a culture of collaboration, empowering experts, the Governor said he is willing to step aside and allow those with requisite knowledge to take decisions, especially in the areas of medicine and law.
“Anywhere, I don’t have the knowledge, I withdraw and allow those with the knowledge to drive the process. That is what we do in this administration. That is the only way you can achieve your goals. That is exactly what we are doing, especially when it comes to medicine and area of legal issues. I push people with the knowledge to be able to drive us,” he added.
He appreciated both Jawa Limited and the PCN for their support, assuring them that his administration would put in its best efforts to keep the facility functioning.
“We will continue to put in our best. I promise you, Jawa, that your efforts are not going to waste. I do understand that the funding you provided you were supposed to do even the fencing of this facility but when you came you realised that we have already done the fencing, you said you are going to reserve the resources in order to build offices for us. I want to thank you for doing that. I want to commit to our regulator that I promise you, as an engineer, I do understand clearly about maintenance, and we will continue to do that,” he said.
On the fear expressed by the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, on the possibility of another governor coming in to dismantle the successes thus far recorded, Governor Sule assured that he would be there to ensure the sustainability of his projects.
“I am not going anywhere. I may not be there after two years, but believe me, I will be there to ensure that whoever is the governor does not dismantle all the good things that we have done. Today, we are in a position where we are rated number three in the country because of these efforts, number one among our peers across the country by the regulator,” he said.
He pointed out that Nasarawa State is making headway not only in the health sector but in most of the programmes ran by development partners, especially the World Bank.
“When the NG-Cares started, Nasarawa was number one attracting over USD13m in funding, with the state coming second under the second phase of the programme amassing another USD24m.
He disclosed that only last week, the result of the third phase of the programme was released, with Nasarawa State emerging first amongst the states participating in the programme.
“I am even afraid to mention this one that came out last week. The number two got USD88m, the number 3 got USD85m. Nasarawa State is number one. We got twice the amount received by number two.
“All these things are not coming for free. They are coming because of the efforts of somebody, some people, by a team that are dedicating their time to the administration of this Nasarawa State.
“We never got anything from NG-CARES in the past, not because the people did not put in their best, but whatever they put in, we are putting in more now. That is why we said we will leave Nasarawa State better than we met her,” he said.
In his speech, Nasarawa State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna elaborated on NASDSMA’s impact, reiterating that the agency now supplies 800 verified health commodities to 484 healthcare facilities statewide, ensuring traceability, affordability, and quality.
“This is Nigeria’s first centralized, one-stop solution to eliminate fake, adulterated, or substandard drugs,” he stated.
The health commissioner commended Governor Sule for his passion and commitment towards the successful completion of the project, particularly with the prompt approval and release of the counterpart funds required from the state.
In a goodwill message, Benjamin Nwora of the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) lauded Nasarawa as a trailblazer, ranking the facility 3rd nationally and 1st among newer projects.
He emphasized its role in combating counterfeit drugs and denatured medicines, products degraded by poor storage.
“Only Nasarawa and Kaduna have achieved ‘Maturity Level Three,’ aligning with federal drug distribution policies,” Nwora noted.
Also speaking, a representative of Jawa Limited, said the company is excited to be associated with the NASDSMA, as well as with the opportunity to create impact through partnership with the Nasarawa State Government.
In a vote of thanks, NASDSMA General Manager, Haruna Wakili, said the historic occasion represented the aggregation of days, weeks and months of dedication, collaboration and sustained commitment from a large number of individuals and organisations.
Wakili particularly appreciated Governor Sule for sharing his vision and total commitment towards ensuring the completion of the facility.
