Our team, supported by our partners Vitalliance and DP World, has recently visited Nigeria to learn more about the local OpenLMIS implementation and attend Global Health Supply Chain Summit 2024. We were invited by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to exchange insights on the system, explore the needs of the local community, and connect with supply chain specialists at the Summit.

OpenLMIS in Nigeria

Nigeria has been actively searching for the most effective logistics solution since 2013 and has tried out multiple systems before implementing OpenLMIS in 2021. The tools they previously used, although they had their benefits, did not meet the expectations. Reasons varied, from too high operational costs, through the lack of user-friendly design, to insufficient functionality.

Here are some of the Nigeria’s main goals when it comes to a logistics management:

• Enhance supply chain visibility:
  • Reduce vaccine stockouts, overstocking, and wastage due to expiry in cold stores.
  • Provide accurate and timely data for decision-making to strengthen primary healthcare systems.
• Promote data utilization:
  • Encourage informed decision-making and accountability through improved use of immunization supply chain (iSC) data.
  • Ensure high-quality, visible, and readily available data for planning and service delivery.
• Strengthen primary healthcare systems:
  • Improve immunization supply chain planning and service delivery with reliable data.
  • Enhance the efficiency of cold chain supply systems through better systems and processes.

Striving to address Nigeria’s unique needs, local specialists have been working to adapt the OpenLMIS system and use its customization capabilities to meet the goals specific to this implementation. As a part of the OpenLMIS Core Team, we were invited to provide our assistance in this mission.

Discussing the implementation

Our main goal during this visit was to meet the local teams and representatives, and exchange insights on the current status of OpenLMIS in Nigeria as well as the possible areas of improvement.

First, we had an incredible opportunity to connect with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) team. This visit was an eye-opening journey into how the platform is being used in Nigeria, its diverse applications, and the potential for future growth.

During our discussions, we explored the new features and customizations introduced to the Nigerian OpenLMIS implementation. We also reviewed the resolved bugs, gaining valuable insights into how these local improvements could benefit the core system. By integrating these advancements into the broader OpenLMIS ecosystem, other implementations worldwide could also reap the benefits.

As members of the OpenLMIS Core Team, we shared updates on the latest OpenLMIS 3.18 release and collected feedback on potential enhancements to the system. This meeting underscored our shared commitment to driving innovation and delivering impactful solutions.

Our visit also included a productive session with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, where we discussed Nigeria’s digital health strategy, local OpenLMIS use cases, customizations, and challenges.

Exploring the supply chain on-site

To deepen our understanding of OpenLMIS in the field, we toured several key facilities, including:

• A cold store, the final supply chain stop before health facilities receive commodities.
• A health facility, where patients access life-saving vaccinations.
• The National Cold Store, a critical hub for nationwide vaccine distribution.

Witnessing healthcare professionals utilize OpenLMIS to streamline operations and save lives was truly inspiring. These hands-on experiences provided us with a deeper appreciation for the system’s impact and reinforced our mission to keep improving it for end users.

Global Health Supply Chain Summit 2024

After the two inspiring days spent on the fruitful discussions, we also had a chance to attend the Global Health Supply Chain Summit 2024 in Lagos, and learn even more about the local health supply chain landscape.

Although the conference was focused mainly on the operational aspects of the health supply chain, rather than the systemic ones that we specialize in, it still provided us with plenty of useful information and helped us gain a wider understanding of the topic.

Having participated in a variety of sessions on logistics in both the public and private sector, we learned a lot of valuable information, and had a chance to look at our own work from a new perspective. Sessions we found the most interesting touched the topics of eLMIS data analysis, eLMIS implementations in different countries (Kenya, Benin), and Cold Chain Equipment management, with a focus on monitoring the temperature in which vaccines are stored and transported.

It was a great opportunity to see the other side of the supply chain processes, and get a better idea of how digital systems answer real problems at a country level, (e.g. accurate stocking, products loss reduction, proper storing, etc.).

GHSC Summit is a space where not only solutions but also cultures meet and so we got to try delicious Nigerian cuisine and watch a regional dance and music performance of local artists. All the experiences we had, information we learnt, and people we met gave us a surge of inspiration. We will definitely take these memories home with us, and use them to provide even better solutions to the OpenLMIS’ users.

A grateful partnership

The visit in Nigeria left us motivated to push OpenLMIS to new heights. A heartfelt thank you to the Clinton Health Access Initiative, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for their insightful discussions and hospitality, and our partners Vitalliance and DP World for their support. We also extend our gratitude to the organizers of the Global Health Supply Chain Summit, for creating a space for professionals to meet and share innovation, and to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for making this incredible trip to Nigeria possible for us.

Together, we’re committed to developing solutions that empower healthcare systems, enhance efficiency, and ultimately save lives across the globe.