FEC okays N10bn for HIV drugs, cancer care

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Bola Tinubu, has approved two key memos from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to boost HIV treatment and cancer care nationwide.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, briefed State House correspondents after the meeting. “Today, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare presented two memos for consideration of FEC, and the two were approved,” he announced.

The first approval covers the procurement of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to sustain the presidential treatment programme for people living with HIV and AIDS. Salako highlighted Nigeria’s free-drug policy, noting recent concerns: “We know that Nigeria has a policy of providing free drugs to people living with HIV and AIDS. And earlier in the year, there was some anxiety that Nigeria was going to run out of ARV.”

He said the N9.99 billion contract goes to Fixing Healthcare, aligning with broader goals. “With this approval, the anxiety is laid to rest,” Salako said. “But another significant part of this approval is that the approval is also being used to consolidate on the programme of Mr President to unlock the healthcare value chain by giving the project to a local pharmaceutical industry that is going to work with a global brand so that gradually over time the capacity to also be able to manufacture ARV drugs in-country can be enhanced.

“So the project has been awarded to Fixing Healthcare at the sum of N9.99 billion to procure antiretroviral drugs for people living with HIV and AIDS,” he added.

The second memo approved targets upgrades for cancer treatment centres. “The second memo is to replace, upgrade, and provide training for cancer treatments in six of our cancer centres, one per geopolitical zone, so that radiotherapy, which is an essential part of cancer treatment, can continue in these centres. And this has also been approved by the FEC today,” Salako stated.