Chioma Umeha
 |
| Mrs. Azuka Okeke |
To improve the country’s healthcare system,
African Resource centre(ARC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to
collaborate with some Nigerian universities in promoting educational and research capacities on supply
chain management.
The collaborations are aimed at strengthening
existing programmes or establishing new supply chain management degree and
certificate programmes, through curriculum strengthening, faculty exchanges,
joint research projects, student internships, etc., with the universities.
These include University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN),
University of Lagos (UNILAG), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka and Lagos
State University (LASU).
Speaking at the signing of the MOU between ARC
Nigeria and these academic institutions, Mrs. Azuka Okeke, Regional Director,
ARC Nigeria revealed that the organisation is raising the performance of health
supply chains to increase the availability of medicines and health commodities
at the last mile – through capacity enhancements of public health logisticians,
supply chain process improvements, among others.
Okeke explained, “ARC aims to foster more
partnerships with universities across the country within the next three years.
We are confident that these collaborations will lead to a sustainable increase
in the number of adequately trained professionals with practical skills ready
to make impact in public health and private sector supply chain systems in Nigeria.”
Okeke also explained that one major focus area of
the ARC is to support effective development of local talent pools adequately
trained to manage and operate public health supply chain and logistics systems,
as well as for private sector supply chain systems in Nigeria and subsequently
within West-Africa.
“In effect, the ARC seeks to foster a supply chain
revolution in Nigeria by facilitating local and international partnerships to
foster in-country capacity for sustainable supply chain Education, Research and
Innovation.
Continuing, she said: “ARC Nigeria’s medium to
long term plan to spur development of local talent involves setting up a
premier academic Center of Excellence on supply chain in partnership with local
and international universities to ensure even distribution and promotion of
supply chain knowledge and research across Nigeria.
“To this end, the ARC is also partnering with the
Massachusetts Institute Technology’s Centre of Transport Logistics, MIT CTL, a
leading global institute on supply chain management education and research,
with proven track-record in setting up supply chain excellence centers around
the world, connected through the MIT Global SCALE Network.”
Azuka further said ARC is also collaborating with
multiple academic institutions in Nigeria, such as, the Universityof Nigeria
Nsukka (UNN), University of Lagos (UNILAG), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU),
Awka and Lagos State University (LASU) – to tap into as well as foster
educational and research capacities on supply chain management.
ARC Nigeria was conceived as partnership between
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Private Sector Health Alliance
of Nigeria (PHN) – as a central
resource center to foster, mobilize and channel expertise and capacity within
the private sector and academia to strengthen public health supply chains
across the country.
