Health
Ultimate Health HMO appoints 2 directors
Ultimate Health Services (UHS), a Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO), has announced the appointment of Tosin Adefeko and Bolajoko Abiola-Odunowo as directors to its board to strengthen capacity and functionality.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UHS, Mr Lekan Ewenla, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ewenla said that the appointments, made by the HMO’s Board of Directors and shareholders, were in line with global corporate governance and best practices.
He said that it was also a reflection of the organisation’s ongoing commitment to enhancing diversity and empowering women in leadership positions within the organised private sector.
“The appointments of Adefeko and Abiola-Odunowo are in-line with the organisation’s commitment to promoting gender inclusivity.
“It is also in accordance with the global agenda for gender inclusiveness in the corporate world and political appointments,” he said.
Ewenla added that the appointments were intentionally done to enhance the organisation’s growth focusing on private and informal sectors, various groups and associations in the country.
He said that enrolment into the health insurance programme is now mandatory for all Nigerians and legal residents.
Ewenla described Adefeko as a corporate executive and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience.
“She has successfully led businesses and delivered impressive results in the financial services, print and broadcast media, marketing and communication industries.
“Adefeko is passionate about gender inclusion, equity, and female empowerment.
“She is an active member of Women in Managing Business; has served in several committees and chaired the communications committee for the annual conferences for three years,” he said.
The managing director equally described Abiola-Odunowo as a distinguished business executive with a multi-faceted career spanning over three decades in finance, law, and logistics.
He said that she would bring a unique combination of financial and legal expertise, and strategic business development into the board of Ultimate Health HMO.
“Abiola-Odunowo has vast experience in treasury management and financial analysis, with a strong understanding of financial operations and risk management.
“She has expertise in oil and gas, real estate, and environmental law, with a special focus on regulatory compliance and legal frameworks within complex industries,” Ewenla added.
NAN
Health
Experts call for pharma sector harmonisation
Health sector experts have called for the harmonisation of pharmaceutical activities in Nigeria to eliminate duplication, enhance efficiency, and improve access to quality medicines and health products.
The call was made on Wednesday in Abuja during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement focused on aligning efforts under the Improving Access to Medicines through Policy and Technical Support (IMPACT) project.
Dr Tayo Hamzat, Supply Chain Management Officer at the World Health Organisation (WHO), said the engagement was timely, considering the number of ongoing but uncoordinated interventions in the sector.
“Harmonisation will lead to faster access to health products, lower costs, improved efficiency, and better regulatory oversight.
“It requires collaboration and a focus on strengthening national systems.”
He described Nigeria’s pharmaceutical system as “robust and huge” but hindered by weak coordination and fragmented management structures.
Dr Francis Ohanyido, Director-General of the West Africa Institute of Public Health, said such collaboration was “common sense” given limited development financing and the need to optimise resources.
“Market shaping is a critical tool.
“Harmonisation can help us identify clear gaps we need to fill, especially in preparation for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he said.
Dr Anthony Ayeke, Programme Manager for Health and Nutrition at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting a resilient, locally driven pharmaceutical sector.
“Harmonisation can accelerate local production, reduce import dependency, and improve healthcare system resilience,” he noted.
He also recommended regulatory streamlining, value chain capacity building, innovation, and public-private partnerships.
Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of the Pharmaceutical Value Chain Transformation Committee (PVAC), commended ongoing efforts under the IMPACT project.
Represented by Dr Muhammad Balarabe, Technical Associate at PVAC, he emphasised the committee’s focus on catalysing local production and attracting sustainable investment.
“Let’s use this platform to strengthen partnerships and align interventions with the vision of affordable, high-quality healthcare for all Nigerians,” he said.
Dr Obi Adigwe, Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), said fragmented interventions and redundant regulations had long stunted growth in the sector.
Represented by Prof. Philip Builders, Professor of Pharmaceutics at NIPRD he said: “Equitable access to quality medicine is the foundation of universal healthcare.
“The lack of access is not just a health issue; it’s about equity, national security, and economic survival.
“Harmonisation isn’t just about avoiding duplication; it’s about aligning policy, investment, and technical frameworks to achieve measurable results.”
He urged stakeholders to develop practical short, medium, and long-term strategies to make Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector self-reliant, globally competitive, and able to meet national healthcare demands.
The meeting brought together key government agencies, development partners, and private sector actors, each reaffirming a shared commitment to a unified, efficient pharmaceutical ecosystem in Nigeria.
NAN
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