Lagos Medicine Dealers Demand Second Wholesale Centre Over Alleged Exclusion, High Shop Rates
The Nigeria Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Liberation Zone, Idumota, has called for the urgent establishment of a second Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Lagos State, citing exclusion, lack of transparency, and unaffordable shop prices at the existing facility in Ijora-Badia.
In a statement released on Sunday, the association appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene, warning of a looming disruption in the pharmaceutical supply chain if concerns remain unaddressed.
Chairman of the group, Mr. Osita Nwajide, alleged that the Ijora-Badia CWC project originally funded through collective contributions by pharmaceutical dealers in Lagos Island has been hijacked by private and politically connected interests.
“We paid for that land under the Lagos State Medicine Dealers Association. Today, it has been taken over by a few individuals,” Nwajide said. “We’ve demanded accountability and transparency, but no explanation has been provided.”
Nwajide emphasized that the current facility, with only 720 shops, is insufficient to serve a state of over 25 million people and accommodate the more than 3,000 legitimate marketers operating within Lagos Island alone.
He further raised concerns over exorbitant shop prices, noting that some units are now being sold for as much as ₦93.5 million, making it impossible for small and medium-scale operators to participate.
“The exclusionary pricing structure is creating inequality and threatening the integrity of drug distribution across the state,” he warned.
Supporting the call for a second CWC, founding member of the Medicine Dealers Association and one of the original architects of the CWC concept, Mr. Gabriel Onyejamwa, claimed the project had strayed from its inclusive vision.
“The land title, once held in trust for dealers, was mysteriously transferred to a private entity, City Pharmaceuticals,” Onyejamwa revealed. “We’ve been shut out of decision-making. This wasn’t the goal when the project was conceived.”
He called on the Federal Government, Lagos State Government, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to step in and correct the situation.
NAPPMED is also advocating for government-regulated shop rentals with monthly payment options to support low- and middle-income operators and foster sustainability.
“This is more than a commercial issue,” Onyejamwa added. “Equitable access to medicines is a public health matter and must not be left to the highest bidder.”
