Ondo State Strengthens Drug Supply System as Dr. Samuel Adekola Advocates Strategic Pharmaceutical Investments
In a renewed push to strengthen the healthcare delivery system in Ondo State, the Senior Consultant to the State Government on Pharmaceutical and Medical Investments, Dr. Samuel Oluwaoromipin Adekola, has emphasized the urgent need for strategic collaboration to enhance the management, accessibility, and sustainability of medicines across the state.
Dr. Adekola made this known on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a familiarisation meeting with the management team of the Ondo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency. The meeting, held with key officials of the agency, was aimed at building stronger institutional synergy to improve pharmaceutical investments and supply-chain efficiency within the state’s healthcare sector.
Addressing the Administrative Secretary, directors, heads of units, partners, and other stakeholders present at the meeting, Dr. Adekola expressed deep appreciation for the warm reception accorded to him and his team. He described the visit as a significant step toward strengthening cooperation between his office and institutions responsible for safeguarding public health in line with the development vision of the Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
According to him, the familiarisation meeting was designed to achieve three critical objectives. The first, he noted, was to gain a deeper understanding of how the agency is implementing its mandate, including its operational structure, ongoing programmes, and the challenges it faces in managing drugs and health commodities across the state. Secondly, the visit sought to identify areas where policy, regulation, operations, and investment could intersect to boost pharmaceutical and medical development. The third objective, he added, was to establish a sustainable framework for collaboration between his office and the agency in alignment with the health sector priorities of the present administration.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the agency, Dr. Adekola stressed that effective management of drugs and medical commodities remains the backbone of any functional healthcare system.
He noted that the agency plays a pivotal role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and quality assurance in the procurement, storage, and distribution of essential medicines and medical consumables across Ondo State.
Strengthening these systems, he said, would not only improve healthcare delivery but also attract investors, development partners, and local pharmaceutical manufacturers who seek credible and structured engagement with the state.
Dr. Adekola further explained that pharmaceutical and medical investments go beyond the construction of infrastructure, emphasizing that they also include efficient supply-chain systems, modern warehousing facilities, cold-chain management, digital inventory platforms, and public-private partnership frameworks.
He disclosed that his office is determined to work closely with the agency to ensure that these investment initiatives support operational realities while improving access to quality medicines for residents of Ondo State.
He also revealed that the state government is targeting at least 70 percent medicine security within the next two years, a goal he described as achievable through strategic reforms and collaborative efforts among relevant stakeholders.
Among the key areas identified for collaboration are strengthening pharmaceutical supply-chain governance, improving warehousing and logistics infrastructure, supporting local manufacturing and value-addition initiatives, enhancing data-driven forecasting and procurement systems, and aligning donor and private-sector interventions with the development priorities of the state.
Reaffirming his commitment to partnership, Dr. Adekola assured the management and staff of the agency that his office is fully prepared to work hand-in-hand with them to transform the institution into a formidable and self-sustaining state drugs and health commodities distribution centre serving the entire state.
He emphasized that meaningful reform and sustainable investment in the health sector can only be achieved through collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability among all stakeholders.
In his response, the Executive Secretary of the Ondo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency, Pharm. Gbenga Lasebikan, welcomed the initiative and expressed the agency’s readiness to collaborate with all institutions committed to advancing the state’s healthcare system.
Pharm. Lasebikan disclosed that the agency has continued to make remarkable progress in strengthening its operational capacity. According to him, the Federal Government, in collaboration with UNICEF, recently supported the upgrade of the agency’s warehouse facilities, thereby enhancing the efficiency of drug storage and distribution within the state.
He further revealed that the agency has developed an efficient logistics system that ensures drugs are delivered to health facilities within 72 hours, a development he said has significantly improved the availability of essential medicines across the state.
The Executive Secretary also noted that the agency enjoys 100 percent cooperation from secondary healthcare facilities and is approaching the same level of collaboration at the primary healthcare level, a development he described as a major boost to effective service delivery.
While assuring Dr. Adekola of the agency’s full cooperation, Pharm. Lasebikan emphasized the importance of maintaining synergy with other key health authorities in the state.
“To avoid policy somersaults, it is important to work closely with the Commissioner for Health and the Special Adviser on Health,” he advised.
He concluded by reaffirming the agency’s commitment to supporting the success of the Office of the Senior Consultant to the Governor on Pharmaceutical and Medical Investments, expressing confidence that the collaboration would further strengthen healthcare delivery and pharmaceutical development in Ondo State.