The first trials took place in the state of Kaduna, in the northwest of the country.
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After Rwanda and Ghana, a new African country is banking on logistics drones to deliver medical products to hard-to-reach areas. Nigeria will soon launch its first aircraft in Kaduna State in the northwest to serve millions of people.
Medicines, vaccines or even batches of blood will soon be supplied by drones to Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with more than 210 million inhabitants. This logistical process was set up in Kaduna State, following an agreement concluded with a young American company Zipeline which has already proven itself in other places.
“We are proud to be the very first state in Nigeria to adopt this innovative supply chain to support our healthcare delivery efforts.”
Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State in northwestern Nigeria
The principle is simple. More than 200 medical products are stored in the best conditions in three warehouses capable of covering most parts of Kaduna State. Health workers place orders by SMS or call and are immediately delivered by drones. Each machine can carry around 1.5 kilograms of cargo and can make dozens of deliveries per day. Drones that run on electricity can thus compensate for the lack of infrastructure, particularly in the most remote areas and whatever the weather conditions.
“Each drone can travel 160 kilometers round trip, in strong winds and rain, day or night, to make on-demand deliveries in an average of 30 minutes.”
Press release from the American company Zipeline
Presentation video of the drone delivery system
Founded in California in 2014, the manufacturer and operator of logistics drones Zipeline has particularly developed on the African continent. Rwanda is one of the first countries to have launched in October 2016 a base housing fifteen machines to serve blood centers in the west of the country. The instant logistics system is also present in Ghana where it has enabled the delivery of one million doses of vaccines against Covid-19. Other countries on the African continent such as Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya have been seduced by this new concept which improves the health system.