By Ebun Sessou

In its bid to support in the drive for the delivery of quality pharmaceutical and personal care product, International Finance Company, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has signed a deal of agreement with HealthPlus Limited and CasaBella International Limited to provide a $5million loan facility to expand pharmaceutical and personal care services in Nigeria.

Speaking on the project, Chief Executive, Officer, Olubukola George said it will support Nigeria’s drive for delivery of quality pharmaceutical and personal care products, create more jobs, and contribute towards the improvement of health and wellbeing in the Country.

Under the agreement, the IFC will assist HealthPlus and CasaBella establish a central distribution centre in Lagos and expand their combined retail business network from 38 to 120 stores across Nigeria within the next three to four years.

“At HealthPlus and CasaBella, our strongest drive is to help people achieve optimum health and vitality by providing quality pharmaceutical and personal care products. Partnering with IFC will help us expand our reach and will give us access to global industry best practices.

“With support from IFC and our other stakeholders, we will be able to achieve our vision of bringing quality health and wellbeing to more Nigerians, she added.”

A World Bank health report notes that African health expenditure will keep growing rapidly, with the private sector playing a key role. The private sector will be the key player in the delivery of quality health and personal care services to the urban poor and rural dwellers, she said.