A former Osun lawmaker, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure the full enforcement of the executive order on the reduction of prices of essential medical consumables and machines.

In a statement on Sunday, Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), noted that despite the order signed in June 2024 to ease the financial burden on patients, the prices of many life-saving drugs remain excessively high.

He explained that the order, which introduced zero tariffs, excise duties, and VAT on specified machinery, equipment, and raw materials to lower production costs and boost local manufacturers’

Oyintiloye pointed out that although the Nigeria Customs Service announced on March 26, 2025, that it had begun implementation of the policy, critical medicines such as insulin, Metformin, and Exforge are still sold at prohibitive prices.

While acknowledging a slight drop in the prices of some drugs like Augmentin and Ventolin inhalers, the ex-lawmaker lamented that most essential medicines remain unaffordable.

He urged President Tinubu to “ensure the full implementation of the executive order to enable local manufacturers to reduce drug prices,” stressing that many Nigerians continue to struggle with the rising cost of medications.

According to him, “I want to appeal to the president to see to the implementation of his executive order on drug prices for the benefit of Nigerians. There is no doubt that the president is doing everything within his power to provide quality health care delivery to Nigerians. I am optimistic that he will see to this.”

He commended the President for subsidising the cost of kidney dialysis in federal hospitals across Nigeria, adding that the move would bring huge financial relief to many Nigerians battling kidney disease.

“By reducing the cost of a single dialysis session from an average of ₦50,000 to a new subsidised rate of ₦12,000, the President’s initiative would also alleviate the suffering of many Nigerians under serious financial pressure.”