Ododo Administration Moves to Strengthens Drug Safety as Kogi Drugs Agency Visits ABUTH Zaria to Understudy Quality Control Standards

 

In a bid to strengthen drug safety and quality assurance in the state’s health sector, the Kogi State Drugs and Medical Supplies Management Agency (KSDMSMA) has undertaken a one-day working visit to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, to understudy its quality control standards and procedures.

The visit, facilitated by the Kogi State Government, forms part of deliberate efforts by the Ododo administration to ensure that all drugs and medical consumables distributed to health facilities across the state meet approved safety and quality standards.

Speaking during the visit, the Executive Secretary of the agency, Pharm. Salamat Onize Ibrahim, said the engagement was aimed at laying the foundation for the establishment of a functional Pharmacy Quality Control Laboratory in Kogi State. According to her, the proposed laboratory will be responsible for testing all drugs supplied by pharmaceutical manufacturers before they are distributed to healthcare facilities in the state.

She explained that the initiative would enhance public confidence in medicines supplied through the agency and align Kogi State with global best practices in pharmaceutical regulation, procurement, and supply chain management.

Pharm. Salamat further noted that the Coordinating Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, has consistently reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to quality service delivery in the health sector, stressing that all agencies under his supervision are being repositioned to achieve optimal performance by 2026.

During the visit, the Kogi delegation, alongside Executive Secretaries of Drugs Management Agencies from Nasarawa and Yobe States, toured ABUTH’s Quality Control Laboratory, which is equipped with modern facilities for drug inspection, analysis, and testing.

They observed various quality assurance processes, including chiral purity testing, preparation of culture media, and microbial limit tests. Officials explained that samples are randomly selected from different batches and subjected to laboratory analysis to verify potency, active ingredients, and compliance with approved standards.

Commending ABUTH’s management, particularly the Pharmacy Department, Pharm. Salamat described the hospital’s quality control systems as bold and innovative. She also praised the establishment of a mini pharmaceutical manufacturing unit within the department, noting that it provides a model for public-sector pharmaceutical development.

She expressed appreciation for the warm reception accorded her team and assured that the outcomes of the visit would be formally communicated to the Honourable Commissioner for Health in Kogi State.

As part of the engagement, the Executive Secretary paid a courtesy visit to the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Muhammad Magaji Garba, where she expressed gratitude for the training she received as a student and exchanged views on pharmaceutical procurement processes and supply chain management.

She added that the visit has positioned the agency not only for effective quality control testing but also for the eventual establishment of a small-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing unit for selected extemporaneous preparations, which will improve access to essential medicines and generate additional revenue for the Kogi State Government.