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Aiyedatiwa approves Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Hub, strengthens diagnostics, nutrition care and private-sector investment
The Ondo State Government has unveiled a comprehensive healthcare reform agenda aimed at strengthening medicines security, promoting local pharmaceutical production, improving diagnostic services, advancing clinical nutrition and attracting increased private-sector investment into the state’s health sector.
The Senior Consultant on Pharmaceutical and Medical Investments to the state government, Dr. Samuel Adekola, disclosed this during a familiarisation visit to the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), Ondo.
Adekola said the reforms were designed to reposition the state’s healthcare system for greater efficiency, innovation, sustainability and improved patient outcomes, stressing the importance of stronger collaboration among government agencies, healthcare institutions and private-sector stakeholders.
Aiyedatiwa Approves Pharmaceutical, Life Sciences Hub
A major component of the reform agenda, according to Adekola, is the establishment of the Ondo State Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Hub, recently approved by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
He said the hub would provide a strategic platform for securing the state’s medicines supply chain, encouraging local pharmaceutical manufacturing, promoting biotechnology research and positioning Ondo State as a regional centre for health innovation.
According to him, the initiative represents a deliberate investment not only in healthcare but also in the state’s economic security.
He explained that developing local capacity in pharmaceutical production and related life sciences would reduce dependence on external sources, strengthen the availability of essential medicines and create opportunities for investment, research and employment.
New Investment in Diagnostic Services
Adekola also disclosed that Governor Aiyedatiwa had approved the procurement of critical diagnostic equipment for healthcare facilities across the state.
He said the investment would strengthen diagnostic capacity, facilitate early detection of diseases and enable medical professionals to make faster and more informed clinical decisions.
The consultant added that improved diagnostic services would ultimately contribute to better treatment outcomes and a more efficient healthcare delivery system.
He identified UNIMEDTH as a critical institution in the implementation of the reforms, given its clinical expertise, research capacity and operational experience.
Stronger Medicines Management System
Adekola called for a stronger working relationship between UNIMEDTH and the Ondo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency (OSDHCMA), describing the agency as a key pillar of the state’s medicines security architecture.
He said OSDHCMA has a critical responsibility to ensure the quality, affordability, availability and accountability of medicines and other health commodities across the state.
“For us to eliminate stockouts, prevent circulation of substandard medicines, and maintain a transparent supply chain, UNIMEDTH must be fully aligned with the Agency’s systems and processes,” he said.
He further disclosed that the agency was being repositioned to function as a State Drugs and Health Commodities Distribution Centre, with the capacity to serve both public and private healthcare institutions within and outside Ondo State.
According to him, comprehensive operational guidelines for the new arrangement are currently being developed.
He added that the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Awolowo Ajaka, had given his concurrence for stakeholders across the health sector, including UNIMEDTH, to participate in developing the guidelines.
New Nutrition Model for Hospital Patients
The government is also introducing an evidence-based nutrition model for in-patient care across the state.
Adekola said the new model, based on global best practices, would reposition nutrition as an important clinical intervention rather than merely a routine hospital service.
Under the proposed approach, patients would receive meals tailored to their medical conditions, metabolic requirements and individual recovery pathways.
He said the initiative was expected to improve treatment outcomes, reduce complications and potentially shorten hospital stays.
UNIMEDTH, he added, is expected to play a leading role in implementing and refining the model, while the state government would collaborate with the West Africa Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (WASPEN) on the initiative.
Government Opens Door to PPP Investments
Adekola also urged the management of UNIMEDTH to undertake a structured assessment of areas where Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investments could be deployed to improve services and infrastructure.
He identified diagnostic services, medical imaging, specialised clinics, digital health infrastructure and biomedical engineering as some of the areas with significant potential for private-sector participation.
He said stronger public-private collaboration would enable the state to expand healthcare capacity, introduce innovation and improve the quality of services available to residents.
Adekola maintained that Governor Aiyedatiwa had demonstrated political will and strategic commitment to transforming the state’s health sector.
He said Ondo State was entering a new phase of healthcare development characterised by strategic reforms, stronger institutional partnerships and clearer performance expectations.
UNIMEDTH Commends Government
Responding, the Chief Medical Director of UNIMEDTH, Prof. Michael Gbala, commended the Ondo State Government for its efforts to improve the teaching hospital and the wider health sector over the past three years.
Gbala said the transformation recorded in the sector was noticeable, particularly in the return and improved availability of medical professionals.
He, however, called for further improvement in the supply and management of medicines to ensure that patients have timely access to essential and lifesaving drugs.
The CMD stressed the importance of maintaining adequate stocks of scarce but critical medicines, noting that some drugs might not be required frequently but could become indispensable during emergencies.
He specifically cited anti-venom as an example, stressing that healthcare facilities must have it readily available because a patient suffering from a snake bite could not afford to wait while the medicine was sourced elsewhere.
Gbala therefore advocated the identification of critical medicines and stronger coordination among healthcare facilities to ensure that lifesaving drugs are readily accessible whenever needed.
The unfolding reforms, stakeholders said, are expected to strengthen Ondo State’s healthcare system while creating new opportunities for investment, innovation, research and improved service delivery.