Zipline forays into second Nigerian state for delivery of medical supplies
Zipline has now signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cross River state government.
- Currently, Zipline operates distribution centers in Rwanda, Ghana, and the US.
May 13, 2021: After entering into a deal with Nigeria’s Kaduna state for the shipment of Covid-19 vaccines in February, Zipline has now signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Cross River state government. The drones will be deployed for the supply of drugs and medical essentials to hard-to-reach areas (HTRAs). The news was announced by CrossRiverWatch.
The state has over 100 HTRAs whose designation, as the name implies, stems from difficult terrains to lack of access roads and waterways.
Currently, Zipline operates distribution centers in Rwanda, Ghana, and the US.
During the signing ceremony at the governor’s office in Calabar, the governor, Ben Ayade declared that in 90 days, the state will start the delivery of essential drugs to hard to reach areas facilitated by drone delivery systems.”
Ayade expressed optimism that the deal will aid in the sustainability of the state-owned pharmaceutical company, Calapharm, when it goes operational.
“When our pharmaceutical company starts running, it will be a major producer of most of these drugs and we believe that your expertise will really be needed around that area since your delivery time is just about 30 minutes. We have to have them across the three Senatorial districts to guarantee that from the point of dispatch to the point of delivery, we should be able to do 30 minutes per package,” Ayade quipped.