Isioma Madike 
A brewing crisis in Lagos State’s pharmaceutical supply chain has taken centre stage, as more than 3,000 medicine marketers under the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Liberation Zone, Lagos Island, have raised the alarm over what they described as the hijack and monopolisation of the Co – ordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) by select nonpharmaceutical actors and corporate interests.
The CWC, located in Ijora Badia, Lagos, was originally conceived as a centralised, regulated hub to streamline drug distribution and curb the proliferation of counterfeit pharmaceuticals in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
However, stakeholders now alleged that the initiative has been compromised, taken over by private entities and shutting out the original contributors; many of whom were instrumental to its establishment.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Chairman of NAPPMED Liberation Zone, Mr. Osita Nwajide, traced the origin of the project, revealing that over 920 members of the association collectively contributed funds; ranging from N100,000 to N1 million each; towards the acquisition of land and early development of the CWC over a decade ago. These efforts, he said, culminated in a cumulative investment of over N300 million.
But rather than reaping the benefits of their investment, Nwajide said that the original contributors have been sidelined. He accused two private firms—City Pharmaceuticals and Embassy Pharmaceuticals—of seizing control of shop allocations, pricing structures, and general access to the centre.
According to Nwajide, shop units are now being sold for as high as N93.5 million each; well beyond the financial capacity of the original members who built the foundation for the centre.
He also highlighted that the current facility only accommodates 720 shops, a figure grossly inadequate for the estimated 3,000 medicine dealers operating in the Lagos Island axis alone.
“The exclusion is not only financial but also spatial.
“This threatens to dismantle the drug supply chain, especially for underserved communities that rely heavily on small and medium-sized drug retailers,” Nwajide stated
Chief Dr. Gabriel Onyejamwa, a founding member of the Medicine Dealers Association and one of the early visionaries of the CWC, corroborated the allegations.
In an interview, he disclosed that the land title originally held in trust for the dealers was later transferred to City Pharmaceuticals under murky circumstances.
According to him, repeated attempts by the founding members to engage the current management have been stonewalled.
“The land was ours. We envisioned a centre where all stakeholders could thrive under a fair, inclusive system.
“Today, we are spectators in a project we gave life to. The dream has been sold off,” Onyejamwa said
He called on the federal and state governments, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to intervene.
The dealers are demanding approval for a second CWC in Lagos, one that is inclusive, affordable, and designed to accommodate the thousands currently excluded.
