Sterling Bank’s Health Technology Partner, Zipline, has signed a service level agreement with the Kaduna State Government for the implementation of drones in the health supply chain system.
Zipline is a global drone delivery service and will use autonomous delivery drones to help transform emergency healthcare and expand access to critical life-saving medications in the state. Divisional Head, Health and Education Sector, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Obinna Ukachukwu, who disclosed this in Kaduna yesterday during the signing of the partnership’s Memorandum of Understanding said that the delivery services did not only include daily medical supplies such as blood pints and medicines but also includes a plan to use the drones in the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines across the state.
He said the bank was supporting the initiative because health is one the five sectors of the Nigerian economy that the bank has committed to and is consistently seeking to improve. The other sectors are education, agriculture, transportation and renewable energy.
Ukachukwu added that the bank was very proud of the partnership and would be committed to playing its part to deliver on the project, noting that Sterling Bank was playing advisory and business development roles. He also noted that this was the first implementation of this service in Nigeria, and that there were ongoing discussions with other states to adopt the service.
Speaking on the ground breaking initiative, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, said: “Kaduna State has one of the best healthcare systems in Nigeria. But while we celebrate our successes, we must also recognise that we have much more work to do to create universal access to critical healthcare for all. “This is especially true when it comes to making sure that millions of people in the state have safe and timely access to the best Covid-19 vaccines available.
