CWC LAGOS: A HOPELESS REALITY
The federal government's vision to establish a well-coordinated and regulated drug distribution system across Nigeria is one of the most vital reforms in our healthcare sector. Designed to eliminate the chaos of open drug markets and improve public health outcomes, the Coordinated Wholesale Center (CWC) project was meant to bring order, safety, and accountability into the pharmaceutical supply chain. CWCs are designated hubs where pharmaceutical wholesalers can operate under strict regulation, ensuring the quality and safety of drugs sold to the Nigerian public. In 2012, the federal government approved four pilot locations for the CWC project: Sabongari drug market in Kano, Idumota in Lagos, Headbridge in Onitsha, and Ariaria market in Aba. Today, Sabongari in Kano has successfully relocated and is operational. Onitsha and Aba have made significant progress. But Lagos, the commercial nerve center of Nigeria, has become the tragic exception. In Lagos, about 902 Idumota...