President Tinubu’s drug price executive order has failed to ease cost burden on Nigerians.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s executive order aimed at lowering the cost of drugs and pharmaceutical products has failed to bring relief to Nigerians, as prices of essential medicines continue to surge more than a year after its introduction.
The order, signed on June 30, 2024, was announced by Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate. It provided for zero tariffs, excise duties, and Value Added Tax (VAT) on raw materials, machinery, and equipment for drug production, with the goal of boosting local manufacturing and reducing retail prices.
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“The Order introduces zero tariffs, excise duties, and VAT on specified machinery, equipment, and raw materials, aiming to reduce production costs and enhance our local manufacturers’ competitiveness,” Pate said at the time.
The policy also coincided with the Federal Executive Council’s approval of Medipool, a centralized procurement platform expected to deliver competitive pricing for essential medicines nationwide.
However, despite these measures, Nigerians are grappling with soaring drug prices. A recent market survey showed that insulin climbed 29 percent from ₦14,000 in June 2024 to ₦18,000 by August 2025. A glucometer, essential for diabetes patients, rose 41 percent from ₦20,500 to ₦29,000.
Hypertension drugs have also spiked. Metformin increased by 30 percent (₦500 to ₦650), amlodipine by 33 percent (₦1,800 to ₦2,400), while Exforge skyrocketed 83 percent from ₦32,800 to ₦60,000.
Malaria treatments saw some of the sharpest hikes: Coartem rose 124 percent (₦3,800 to ₦8,500), Artesunate injection 56 percent (₦1,600 to ₦2,500), and Lokmal tablets more than doubled, from ₦1,200 to ₦2,450.
A few drugs, however, recorded price drops. Augmentin fell 24 percent, from ₦18,500 to ₦14,000, while the Ventolin inhaler declined by 12 percent, from ₦8,500 to ₦7,500.
The contrasting figures suggest that the executive order has yet to translate into meaningful relief for patients, raising questions about implementation, supply chain pressures, and Nigeria’s reliance on imported pharmaceuticals despite efforts to boost local production.
