By Oluwafunke Ishola
The Lagos State Government says the ePharma4FP project has accelerated universal health coverage, enhanced service quality, and filled gaps that previously hindered family planning services in the state’s underserved communities.
Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, affirmed that the project had tackled barriers to family planning services, including stockouts, long wait times, stigma, confidentiality concerns, and limited access.
Ogunyemi revealed this during the E-Pharmacy for Family Planning Project Final Dissemination on Tuesday.
The event had the theme, “Exploring the Potential of Digital Pharmacy for Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria: Insights and Recommendations”.
The Gates Foundation-supported ePharma4FP Project is delivered by a Society for Family Health (SFH)-led consortium with Busara, HealthPlus Pharmacy, and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Foundation.
The project, done in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, designed, tested, and optimised hybrid e-Pharmacy models in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ePharma4FP project, conducted between 2023 and 2025, sought to improve access to high-quality family planning products, information, and counselling services for women in Lagos.
Ogunyemi described the initiative as a testament to the possibilities that can be achieved through the use of digital innovation.
“It has expanded convenience, enhanced client autonomy, and strengthened linkages across our health system, proving that hybrid ePharmacy models can transform how people access digital health services.”
She explained that the initiative’s achievements underscored Lagos State’s commitment to safe, confidential, and equitable family planning access.
According to her, the project has propelled the near completion of the Lagos State Digital Family Planning policy, representing a decisive step towards a more data-driven, technology-enabled, and client-centred health ecosystem.
“Lagos is not just keeping pace with digital health innovations, we are helping to chart the course. Let us remember that this project may be ending, but its impact is only just beginning.
“The insights we share, the systems we are strengthening, and the innovations we have nurtured will continue to shape how Lagos delivers healthcare long after today’s events.
“Let us leave here with renewed purpose, ready to scale, ready to innovate, and ready to continue transforming lives.
“Together, we will build a future where every resident enjoys seamless, state-of-the-art technology-enabled access to quality health services,” Ogunyemi said.
She commended the partners and funders for supporting the state to build a healthier, smarter, and more resilient health system.
Dr Folasade Oludara, Acting Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, said ePharma4FP has demonstrated how technology can make family planning more inclusive, convenient and accessible to women.
Oludara, represented by Mrs Tosin Onasanya, Deputy Director, Child Health, reiterates the state’s commitment to leading transformational changes and leveraging technology to improve the lives of women and families.
Dr Omokhudu Idogbo, Managing Director, Society for Family Health (SFH), said the project is a strategic proof-of-concept for how digital pharmacy models can unlock system efficiencies, bridge access gaps, and modernise delivery of essential reproductive health services.
Idogbo, represented by Dr Jennifer Anyanti, Deputy Managing Director, Strategy and Growth, SFH, said insights from the project would inform national digital health planning and support private sector integration.
According to him, it will also guide future donor investments focused on scale, sustainability and value for money.
He emphasised that the ePharma4FP project was instrumental in the development of a National epharmacy Policy by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, which would be inaugurated on Thursday.
He commended the Lagos government, noting that its commitment to bold, people-centred solutions continues to create fertile ground for innovation in the health sector.
Idogbo also appreciated the Gates Foundation for its investment in models that push boundaries about what is possible.
“Your support has not only expanded service delivery, but has strengthened the digital health ecosystem in one of the foremost states in the country – Lagos.”
Similarly, Dr Uchenna Okafor, Chief of Party, E-Pharma4FP, SFH, said the project also culminated in the finalisation of the Nigeria National Prescription and Dispensing Policy (NNPDP).
Okafor said the policies, upon their inauguration, would establish a robust enabling environment for advancing digital pharmacy operations across Nigeria.
“Evidence from the ePharma4FP Project shows that e-Pharmacy is an emerging and scalable channel for expanding equitable access to family planning and essential primary healthcare in Nigeria.
“Supportive national policies are taking shape, user readiness is clear across multiple segments, and inclusive digital models such as interactive voice response (IVR) and unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) have proven effective at reaching underserved populations.
“The conditions for scale now exist.”
On unlocking the full potential of e-Pharmacy, Okafor recommended coordinated action from government, regulators, private-sector innovators, development partners, and community actors.
“With sustained collaboration, Nigeria can consolidate its readiness in digital pharmaceutical services and deliver safer, more efficient, and more equitable reproductive-health access while advancing UHC, FP2030 commitments, and national digital health priorities.”
Dr Mohammed Alhaji, Engagement Director of Busara, emphasised the importance of market segmentation, stressing that it assists in moving interventions from one-size-fits-all to precision in public health. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Vivian Ihechu
