2 Months After, FG Yet To Implement Executive Order On Medicaments -

As Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry eagerly awaits the implementation of the Presidential Executive Order aimed at reducing the cost of essential medicines, and generally revamping the health sector, delays in the implementation process have pushed back the timeline for its takeoff in June,

President Bola Tinubu signed an Executive Order to strengthen Nigeria’s health system by exempting pharmaceutical machinery, equipment, goods, and accessories from tariffs and excise duties, reducing production costs and making healthcare products more affordable. But two months after the pronouncement, checks revealed that the cost of items in the key categories of health equipment covered by the Executive Order remained prohibitively high.

Among these are pharmaceutical medications, medical devices such as diagnostic imaging machines, laboratory equipment, surgical instruments, ECG machines, ventilators, syringes, needles, gloves, medical dressings and diagnostic kits for malaria, HIV, etc.

While the government set a 30-day deadline for development of a harmonisation implementation framework with the ministries of Finance and Industry, Trade, and Investment, the exact timeline for take-off of the Executive Order remains uncertain.

On when Nigerians can expect to start seeing the benefits of the Executive Order, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the government is working diligently to expedite action on the framework that will guide relevant agencies in operationalizing and implementing the Executive Order.