The Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Jobson Ewalefoh, has commended the recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of the MediPool project, describing it as a transformative step toward equitable access to essential medicines in Nigeria’s underserved regions.
In a statement issued on Sunday by ICRC spokesperson Ifeanyi Nwoko, Mr. Ewalefoh highlighted the project’s strategic alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to bridge infrastructure and service delivery gaps through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
“Imagine a Nigeria where no child dies due to the unavailability of vaccines, and where even the most remote health centres are equipped with life-saving medications,” Mr. Ewalefoh remarked. “MediPool is only the beginning. Through PPPs, infrastructure delivery is being revitalised across all sectors, ensuring no Nigerian is left behind.”
The MediPool initiative is a key component of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain. It seeks to centralise the procurement and distribution of vaccines, essential medicines, and medical consumables via a high-efficiency Group Purchasing Organisation (GPO) model. According to Mr. Ewalefoh, this will foster greater transparency, reduce procurement costs, and significantly improve last-mile access to healthcare, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
“President Tinubu is restoring hope to historically neglected regions by positioning access to essential medicines as a fundamental right, not a privilege,” he added.
In addition to MediPool, the FEC also approved two other major PPP-backed infrastructure projects: the redevelopment of the Ikere Gorge Hydropower Project in Oyo State and the revitalisation of the Federal Coastal Fishery Terminal in Borokiri, Rivers State.
The Ikere Gorge project, initially launched under the Obasanjo military regime, will be delivered under a Finance-Build-Operate-Transfer (FBOT) arrangement. Once completed, it is expected to generate over six megawatts of electricity, support potable water supply for towns like Iseyin and Saki, and enable irrigation for extensive farmlands across the region.
Meanwhile, the Borokiri Fishing Terminal project is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s fisheries value chain by enhancing cold-chain infrastructure, boosting export capacity, and creating sustainable employment opportunities.
Mr. Ewalefoh reaffirmed the ICRC’s commitment to regulatory oversight and best practices, stating that the Commission would ensure all approved projects adhere to global standards of transparency, value-for-money, and accountability.
“These PPP initiatives reflect a shift toward inclusive infrastructure governance. The ICRC remains committed to supporting the Federal Government’s drive to unlock socio-economic value while ensuring equity and regulatory integrity,” he said.
