The first drone deliveries in Nigeria's Kaduna State were conducted today by Zipline, the world leader in fast logistics.
These maiden flights signal the completion of the integration process with local health systems and regulatory approval.
Subject to final regulatory permission, Zipline and the Kaduna State Government plan to distribute medical supplies to hundreds of health institutions to help establish a more agile, responsive, and accessible health system.
"Zipline has a track record of transforming health systems," stated Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State.
"We're taking our maiden flights today to pave the path for delivering this tried-and-true service to Kaduna State." We are honored to be the first state in Nigeria to use this cutting-edge supply chain to assist our healthcare activities. Zipline's technology is a significant step forward in Kaduna State's continuous efforts to build a smarter, stronger health system that better serves all of our citizens."
Zipline will run three delivery centers across the state, covering 46,000 square kilometers and delivering to 500 health facilities that serve millions of people.
The firm will start by providing over 200 different medical goods, such as medications and regular immunizations, with ambitions to grow to more in the near future.
Zipline will introduce its COVID-19 vaccine distribution approach to Nigeria, which has been demonstrated to work.
With the Government of Ghana, the business and its partners pioneered this concept, effectively delivering more than 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccinations across the country.
"Investing in the supply chain improves the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of health systems," stated Amina Mohammed Baloni, Kaduna State's Health Commissioner.
"Today's flights represent a critical step in ensuring that people in Kaduna State have access to the treatment they require, precisely when and where they require it, in order to improve health outcomes and promote healthier communities."
Today is Zipline's first delivery in Nigeria, which has the continent's largest economy and population. As part of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority's final certification procedure, it will begin with test flights bringing medical supplies to health institutions. Regular commercial operations in Kaduna State are set to commence later this month, and the business has secured deals with a number of additional states for later this year.
"Governments and health institutions can use instant logistics to improve their supply chains and reinvent how care is provided," said Daniel Marfo, Zipline's Senior Vice President of Africa.
"Today's flights are another step in making these advantages available to millions more people and bringing us closer to having effective, nimble systems that better serve everyone."
Zipline has a proven track record of collaborating with governments and health institutions to improve the efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability of health supply chains. By solving supply chain difficulties, Zipline's immediate logistics system greatly boosted the availability, dependability, and range of inventory at health institutions in Ghana, according to a recent independent research supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
"With over 315,000 commercial deliveries worldwide, Zipline has established an impressive record of safe, reliable, and impactful service," said Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, former President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council and Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). "Within the next few months, the business expects to provide this game-changing service to millions more individuals, bringing us one step closer to a future where everyone can acquire anything they need, whenever and wherever they need it."
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, and the International Civil Aviation Organization collaborated with Zipline and Kaduna State to make today's flights possible. Following national-scale operations in Ghana and Rwanda, Nigeria is Zipline's third African country of operation, and its fifth worldwide.