By Seyi Odewale
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has called on President Bola Tinubu to fully enforce his executive order on reducing drug prices nationwide.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, told journalists in Osogbo on Sunday that despite the President’s June 2024 order removing tariffs, excise duties, and VAT on key drugs, medical consumables, and machinery, the prices of many life-saving medicines remain prohibitively high.
He noted that while the Nigeria Customs Service announced in March 2025 that it had begun implementation, patients have yet to feel the impact.
“Prices of critical drugs such as insulin, Metformin, and Exforge are still very high. Although medicines like Augmentin and Ventolin inhaler have slightly dropped, many other essential drugs remain unaffordable,” he said.
Oyintiloye appealed to Tinubu to act swiftly to ensure local manufacturers pass on the benefits of the order to ordinary Nigerians.
“I want to appeal to the President to see to the full implementation of his executive order on drug prices for the benefit of Nigerians who are struggling to cope with the surge,” he added.
He, however, commended the President for subsidising the cost of kidney dialysis in federal hospitals, reducing the average price per session from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000.
He described the initiative as a huge relief for patients battling kidney disease and a reflection of Tinubu’s commitment to accessible healthcare.
“The President must be commended for this gesture. It shows he is passionate about the well-being of Nigerians,” Oyintiloye said, urging citizens to support Tinubu’s health sector reforms.
