Posted on: Mon 06-10-2025

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving zero tolerance for substandard medical equipment, devices, and reagents in public hospitals across Nigeria.

 

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made this known during the commissioning of the national secretariat of the Healthcare Equipment and Allied Products Providers Association of Nigeria (HEPAN) in Abuja on Friday.

 

Salako emphasized that the availability of quality infrastructure and diagnostic tools is crucial to improving healthcare delivery and outcomes nationwide.

 

“To improve population health outcomes, the right diagnosis is essential — and that depends on appropriate technological aids,” he said. “The journey towards achieving zero use of substandard medical equipment and reagents requires your full and undiluted commitment.”

 

He urged HEPAN to tackle equipment downtime in health facilities through capacity building and partnerships with service users, adding that the association’s role aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which focuses on better governance, healthcare access, industrial growth, and health security.

 

Salako also highlighted the importance of unlocking the health value chain through medical industrialization, noting that private sector collaboration is vital to the Federal Ministry of Health’s reform agenda.

 

“The Presidential Executive Order of June 2024, which removed tariffs, import duties, VAT, and other taxes on vital raw materials, presents an opportunity for HEPAN members to invest in local production,” he added. “Government is urging partners to venture into equipment and device fabrication to strengthen our health system.”

 

In his remarks, HEPAN President, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Nwankwo, assured that the association is committed to ending the importation of fake and substandard medical equipment in Nigeria.

 

“One of the best ways to curb the inflow of fake medical equipment is by creating a platform like HEPAN, where stakeholders can engage and adopt best practices,” he stated.

 

Nwankwo disclosed that several HEPAN members are already investing in local manufacturing, with factories being established in Port Harcourt and Agbara Industrial Estate to produce medical equipment locally — a move he said would save foreign exchange and create jobs.

 

Also speaking, the Chairman of the FCT Chapter of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) commended HEPAN’s efforts in promoting standardization and stakeholder collaboration.

 

He noted that the initiative would help curb medical tourism and ensure that only certified medical devices meeting Nigerian standards and manufacturers’ specifications are used.

 

“This will end the practice of patients being referred from one facility to another for repeated tests due to lack of standardized equipment,” he said, urging regulatory agencies to intensify verification and validation of all medical devices to maintain public trust and ensure quality healthcare delivery.

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