By Monsurat Abisoye
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has revealed that over 30,000 residents living with HIV are currently benefiting from free antiretroviral therapy, alongside counselling and other support services across health facilities in the state.
He made this known on Thursday in Abeokuta during the commissioning of the Pharma-Grade Warehouse of the Ogun State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency. The governor said his administration has made significant progress in repositioning the state’s healthcare system for improved service delivery.
Abiodun urged residents to make greater use of healthcare facilities for proper diagnosis and treatment, noting that the government has strengthened HIV prevention programmes, expanded testing, and implemented strategies to reduce new infections. He added that access to antiretroviral treatment and support services remains free for thousands of beneficiaries.
He also commended the Global Fund for supporting HIV treatment expansion in Nigeria, as well as its contributions to tuberculosis control, malaria prevention, and the provision of essential medicines and health commodities. According to him, the Fund’s interventions have particularly benefited women, children, adolescents, vulnerable groups, and underserved communities.
Describing the newly commissioned warehouse as a strategic health investment, the governor said it would improve storage, management, and distribution of medicines across Ogun State. He explained that the facility would strengthen supply chain efficiency, minimise stock-outs, and ensure timely delivery of drugs and test kits to health centres in all 20 local government areas.
Abiodun acknowledged that HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria remain major public health challenges but stressed that sustained interventions in collaboration with development partners are yielding steady progress. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and intensifying tuberculosis control through community outreach, contact tracing, and hotspot mapping. He further noted that diagnostic services, including screening, X-rays, and laboratory tests, have been expanded, with treatment remaining free, adding that tuberculosis is “preventable, detectable and curable.”
The governor also commended the Federal Government for strengthening the health sector and said Ogun State would continue aligning with national health objectives to deliver measurable outcomes for citizens.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, said the warehouse was established to enhance healthcare delivery across the state. She praised the governor for investing in a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) machine for testing drug quality and disclosed plans to deploy technology that can detect low stock levels in health facilities.
The Executive Director of the Global Fund, Peter Sands, described the warehouse as a key investment to improve access to medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic supplies. He noted that of 22 warehouses built nationwide, Ogun State’s facility is the largest and most advanced.
Sands commended the state’s healthcare leadership and pledged continued support, stressing that the facility—jointly funded by the Global Fund and the Ogun State Government—reflects a shared commitment to strengthening health systems and improving outcomes for residents.