{
  "id": 9475183,
  "title": "Edo Govt Boosts State Economy with Revitalisation of Drug Manufacturing Coy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/edo-govt-boosts-state-economy-with-revitalisation-of-drug",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-24T03:30:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/24/edo-govt-boosts-state-economy-with-revitalisation-of-drug-manufacturing-coy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Edo State Government has announced plans to revitalise the defunct Edo Pharmaceutical Company, located in Benin City, in a bid to boost the state's economy. Executive Secretary of the Edo State Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency, Kenny Okojie, disclosed these plans during a monthly press briefing, stating that the government is in talks with Chinese investors and others to establish a drug manufacturing company using the abandoned pharmaceutical firm as a starting point. The rehabilitated company would supply drugs not just to neighbouring states such as Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Kogi, but also to African countries due to the scale of the proposed manufacturing facility. Okojie also mentioned that the state has been able to digitalise its systems, allowing it to run the entire warehouses along with other DMA agencies in the country, resulting in the procurement of N13.2 billion worth of medication for the state. Furthermore, the agency has renovated all the warehouses established since the old Bendel State, working with Global Funds to create functional and highly standard storage facilities for medications. The DMA's primary function is to ensure affordable and high-quality medication for citizens, with the state government now purchasing drugs directly from manufacturers at a lower cost than via middlemen.",
  "summary": "Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin City Edo State Government said it had concluded plans for the revitalisation of the moribund Edo Pharmaceutical Company located in Benin City. The government also disclosed",
  "key_points": [
    "Edo Govt plans to revive defunct Edo Pharmaceutical Company",
    "Chinese investors and others to establish drug manufacturing facility",
    "State digitalized systems for drug procurement and storage"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Edo State Government's plan to revitalise the defunct pharmaceutical company signals a strategic shift towards self-sufficiency in drug production, potentially positioning the state as a regional hub for affordable medication.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}