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CIPS HPA in Nigeria

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CIPS HPA has worked in Nigeria since November 2019. The team now numbers eight. CIPS HPA first conducted an organisational learning phase to map the procurement structure for healthcare products, medical consumables and equipment in the country, identify relevant stakeholders and understand some of the challenges facing healthcare procurement agencies.

Pharmaceutical procurement in Nigeria is handled by the country’s 36 States and Federal Capital Territory, with the exception of procurement for federal hospitals and for some donor programmes, which is handled at federal level. CIPS HPA’s work therefore focuses primarily on support for the State Drug Management Agencies (DMAs) in addition to the Institutions/Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at the National Level (e.g., Bureau for Public Procurement, Federal Ministry of Health, National Product Supply Chain Management Programme. The programme began in Lagos and Niger States and has since expanded to Kaduna, Nasarawa, Yobe, Kano, Sokoto and Bauchi States. 

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diagnostics

The diagnostics for the supported States revealed gaps such as:

Lack of agency-specific procurement strategies, policies, procedures, and processes at two-thirds of the procuring organisations assessed
Lack of accurate quantification (forecasting) of drug requirements
Lack of robust framework agreements with suppliers, that would enable procurement agents to move more quickly from tender to contract, and to achieve better pricing
Lack of category management - an approach that groups similar purchases into categories to identify opportunities for cost reduction, such as bulk buying and better supplier negotiations
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The diagnostic results and proposed improvement plan for Lagos State were presented to officials at both the Federal Ministry of Health and National Product Supply Chain Management Programme Coordinator and State Level Ministers of Health for Lagos in May 2021 and approved in the same month. The diagnostic and improvement support workplan for Niger was completed in late 2020 and presented in March 2021 to the Honorable Commissioner for Health, and the Niger State Ministry of Health. The improvement support workplan was reviewed and endorsed in July 2021.

In 2022, CIPS HPA expanded support in Nigeria to three new States: Yobe, Kaduna and Nasarawa, carrying out the CIPS Procurement Excellence diagnostic in early 2023 and making recommendations on improvements. In 2023, the CIPS HPA programme was expanded to a further three States – Sokoto, Bauchi and Kano, with diagnostics completed and presented to stakeholders in April 2024.

 
technical assistance

CIPS HPA’s technical support has largely focused on addressing the gaps identified in the diagnostic, with a particular focus on: 

The key areas for improvement identified for the Nigerian States included:
Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which detail how a process (e.g. issuing a tender) should be carried out in order to ensure efficiency and compliance. These have led to a 90% improved availability of health products in one State and a reduction in stock-out rates of 70% in another. CIPS HPA supports the State procurement teams in efficient execution of the SOPs.
Category management strategy development for maternal and newborn health products for the State Ministry of Health in Kaduna to ensure availability of key products to prevent maternal deaths, for example from post-partum bleeding. Grouping similar products enables procurement to identify key suppliers, negotiate bulk discounts and track availability across a product basket.
Support with more accurate quantification (forecasting) of drug requirements for 350-640 products in Bauchi, Niger, Kaduna, Yobe and Nasarawa. CIPS HPA also supported the Safe Motherhood unit within the Family Health Department of the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria to implement the first ever quantification of 42 maternal health products for the 36 Nigerian States.
Additionally, CIPS HPA organised a technical workshop in Nigeria on pooled procurement. The workshop attracted over 650 participants. The Call to Action from the event was shared with stakeholders including the Minister for Health and Social Welfare.
 
impact

CIPS HPA’s work has had a measurable impact in Nigeria

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Improved availability of critical medicines

Increase in availability of critical medicines between 18% and 144% in Nigeria

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Reduction in price

Price reductions of 40% in one state

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Increase in procurement effectiveness

 An average of 100% improvement in organisational effectiveness over 2 years as measured by independent reviewers

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Budget allocation

Increases in allocation of budget of 87% for maternal and newborn health products in one Nigerian State

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Reduction in wastage

Between 45% and 95% reduction in product wastage (due to products expiring due to over-ordering) in two Nigerian States.
Contribution to a reduction in maternal mortality of 50%: According to Chief Medical Director of Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital, Prof Hadiza Saidu, CIPS HPA support in ensuring ‘the strategic positioning of pre-packed PPH bundle at the labour & delivery ward has been a game changer in contributing to reducing maternal mortality in the facility by 50%, by ensuring prompt access to quality health products at all times’.
In 2023, a diagnostic assessment across eight states revealed that 62.5% were operating at the Ad hoc level, while 37.5% were at the Tactical level. However, by 2025, a diagnostic reassessment in four focus states showed significant progress: none of the states remained at the Ad hoc level, with 75% advancing to the Tactical level and 25% reaching the Developing level (Legend: 1-1.99 = Adhoc; 2-2.99 = Tactical; 3-3.99 = Developing; 4-4.99 = Effective; 5 = Standard)
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