Nigeria can significantly improve access to essential medicines and health commodities, particularly in hard-to-reach communities, by better integrating private sector logistics providers into the country’s public health supply chain, according to logistics expert Scott Dubin.

Dubin, who spoke in a written interview with The Guardian, said while Nigeria has made notable progress in strengthening its health supply chains over the past decade, there remains considerable room to harness the country’s existing logistics and digital infrastructure to improve healthcare delivery.

He acknowledged the efforts of health professionals at the federal and state levels who continue to manage medicine distribution under difficult conditions, but argued that greater collaboration with private logistics operators would help close persistent access gaps.

According to him, Nigeria already possesses efficient transport networks, fintech infrastructure and digital platforms that successfully distribute food, consumer goods and financial services across the country, including rural communities.

However, he noted that health logistics are still largely managed within programme-specific structures, limiting the sector’s ability to tap into a broader network of capable logistics providers.

“In many hard-to-reach areas, the issue is not that no one can deliver. It is that the right providers are not always visible or integrated into public health planning in a structured way,” he said.

Dubin explained that improving access to medicines does not necessarily require building entirely new distribution systems, but rather creating stronger links between public health institutions and Nigeria’s wider logistics market through digital technologies and clearer engagement frameworks.

He said such an approach would make collaboration between government agencies and private logistics companies more predictable, transparent and accountable.

On the economic impact of weak coordination within the health supply chain, Dubin warned that fragmentation increases operational costs and reduces efficiency.

He said poor coordination often leads to duplicated logistics structures, limited competition among service providers and higher administrative costs associated with distributing health commodities.

Beyond financial implications for government, Dubin stressed that citizens bear the greatest burden when medicines are delayed or unevenly distributed.

He explained that patients are often forced to travel longer distances to obtain treatment, miss work, interrupt medication schedules or incur additional out-of-pocket expenses.

According to him, these disruptions are particularly damaging for the treatment of tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), where consistent access to medicines is critical for successful health outcomes.

Dubin also highlighted the broader economic consequences of inefficient healthcare delivery, noting that Nigeria carries one of the world’s highest burdens of neglected tropical diseases.

Citing Deloitte estimates, he said eliminating NTDs by 2030 could generate nearly $19 billion in productivity gains between 2023 and 2030, while also reducing the economic burden on caregivers.

He added that achieving those gains would depend not only on ensuring adequate national supplies of medicines but also on delivering them reliably to underserved communities across the country.