In February 2021, Zipline announced plans to construct three distribution centres in Kaduna State, Nigeria, supported by the Federal government.
The state’s intent is to use Zipline’s service to transport health products, including blood, medication, and routine vaccines. In May 2021, Zipline announced a similar agreement with Cross River State, followed by the announcement of another agreement with Bayelsa State.
General Manager of Zipline Nigeria, Catherine Odiase commended the regulatory authorities for the fruitful engagements leading to the commencement of flight operations, adding that ” the company is pleased to have received the necessary regulatory approval to be able to support the health needs of the community”.
Zipline’s drone delivery system is dedicated to expanding access to goods around the globe. Over the years, the company has demonstrated its ability to work with governments and health systems to transform health supply chains to be accessible and work more effectively.
Nigeria is the third African country to use Zipline services, following national-scale operations in Ghana and Rwanda with operations in Kenya and Cote d’Ivoire yet to be launched later this year.
In total, the company has made more than 370,897 commercial deliveries containing more than five million units of vaccines and other medical products to facilities in Rwanda, Ghana, Japan and the United States, where it is based.