— Targets Underserved Communities Through Pharmacies and Medicine Vendors

By Chioma Obinna

The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the Society for Family Health (SFH) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has launched the SWIFT Project—an initiative designed to expand women’s access to modern family planning services through pharmacies and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs).

The project, officially titled “Supporting Women’s Increased Access to Family Planning Through Pharmacies and PPMVs,” was unveiled during a stakeholder inception meeting held at the Radisson Hotel, Ikeja.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, represented by Dr. Folashade Oludara, Director of Family Health and Nutrition, described the initiative as a strategic and timely intervention aimed at overcoming barriers that prevent women—especially those in underserved communities—from accessing contraceptives.

“Distance, cost, and stigma continue to limit women’s access to modern contraceptives. By engaging pharmacies and PPMVs, this project brings care closer to the people and reaffirms the right of every woman to informed reproductive choices,” Dr. Oludara stated.

She noted that the project aligns with Lagos State’s THEMES+ agenda and its drive toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), adding that non-traditional providers, when properly trained and regulated, play a crucial role in reproductive health delivery.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, highlighted family planning as a “development accelerator”, with profound impacts on economic empowerment and poverty reduction.

“With SWIFT, we are deepening our reach, especially among women in marginalized communities. It builds on the success of the previous IntegratE programme, which trained over 1,200 providers, counselled more than 310,000 women, and provided contraceptives to nearly 188,000 women of reproductive age,” Ogboye explained.

He called for ownership and collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the project’s sustainability, emphasizing that its true beneficiaries are the women and girls whose lives would be transformed.

Speaking on behalf of SFH, Pharm. Kene Eruchalu, Deputy Director of Programme Delivery, noted that Lagos is the final rollout location for the SWIFT Project, following earlier successful implementations in Kano and Kaduna.

“Lagos’s size and complexity required thoughtful preparation, but we are now ready to scale with impact,” Eruchalu said, highlighting the focus on training women health providers to build trust within communities.

He added that the project goes beyond reproductive health by empowering women economically and increasing their autonomy over reproductive decisions.

“When you help one woman plan her family, you uplift an entire generation,” he stated.

Project Manager, Ummi Rahama-Shehu, provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s three-year implementation plan, which is founded on a social enterprise model combining economic viability, social impact, and gender empowerment.

“SWIFT focuses on five strategic pillars—need-based support, investment readiness, market presence, technology-driven access, and ecosystem support,” Rahama-Shehu explained.

She added that the initiative is set to build resilience among PPMVs and pharmacists, while strengthening regulatory oversight and improving access to digital health commodities.

Representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Olukunle Daramola praised Lagos for its leadership in healthcare innovation, noting that SWIFT is a transformative tool for empowering women entrepreneurs to deliver community-based family planning services.

“Lagos, alongside Kaduna and Kano, was selected for its demonstrated commitment to healthcare innovation. This project brings services to hard-to-reach areas and supports Lagos’s reproductive and maternal health strategies,” Daramola noted.

The Permanent Secretary of Health District VI, Dr. Cecelia Mabogunje, also emphasized the role of family planning in promoting healthier families and communities, praising the SWIFT model for its grassroots impact.

“As a pediatrician, I know firsthand how critical child spacing is. This project will improve outcomes for both mothers and children,” she said.

Dr. Taiwo Filusi, Zonal Director of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, commended the project for its alignment with the council’s mandate to strengthen pharmacy regulation and training. He urged development partners to engage only registered providers, many of whom are women.

“These women serve as caregivers and trusted providers in their communities. Supporting them means strengthening healthcare from the ground up,” Filusi remarked.

With Lagos leading the way, stakeholders expressed optimism that the SWIFT Project would not only scale healthcare delivery through digital transformation but also empower women entrepreneurs and establish a sustainable model for reproductive health access nationwide.