Page 193 - GHES-3-1

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Optimizing last-mile delivery of essential

medicines in Nigeria: Insights from Niger State’s
health-care supply chain

2
1
Ogwuche Kennedy Odo , Kabiru Abubakar Gulma * , and Mohammad Audi 3
1 Department of Business Administration, Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST),
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
2 School of Global Health and Bioethics, Euclid University, Banjul, The Gambia
3 Drugs and Hospital Consumables Management Agency, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract
Last-mile delivery of health commodities is a critical component of efficient supply
chains, and third-party logistics (3PL) providers are pivotal in ensuring cost-effective
and reliable product distribution. This study explores the implementation of last-mile
delivery outsourcing by government-operated warehouses and drug management
agencies (DMAs). This research focuses on the relationship between 3PL utilization
Academic editor: and key performance metrics, such as cost reduction, timely delivery, and end-
Mihajlo Jakovljevic M.D. Ph.D. MAE user satisfaction. This study combines a literature review, surveys, and interviews
*Corresponding author: conducted with employees of the DMAs in Minna, Niger State, to establish significant
Kabiru Abubakar Gulma correlations. The findings show that using 3PLs significantly reduced operational
(gulma@euclidfaculty.net) costs, improved the frequency of timely deliveries, and enhanced end-user
Citation: Odo, O.K., Gulma, K.A., satisfaction. These findings underscore the need for continued engagement with
& Audi, M. (2025). Optimizing last- 3PL providers to optimize supply chain performance and improve service delivery
mile delivery of essential medicines
in Nigeria: Insights from Niger outcomes. Managers are recommended to maintain and expand such collaborations
State’s healthcare supply chain. to sustain these benefits.
Global Health Econ Sustain,
3(1):185-196.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4714 Keywords: Outsourcing; Last-mile delivery; Essential medicines; Niger State; Drug
Received: August 30, 2024 management agency
Revised: September 22, 2024
Accepted: October 8, 2024
Published online: November 5, 1. Introduction
2024
Ensuring the delivery of products where they are needed is a crucial element of any
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). effective supply chain. Third-party logistics (3PL) providers are pivotal in cost-effectively
This is an Open-Access article delivering products to end-users, and using 3PLs requires delegating logistics-related
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution functions, either partially or entirely, to an external organization for execution.
License, permitting distribution, Transportation and basic value-added logistics services are well-established outsourcing
and reproduction in any medium, domains; thus, 3PL companies are key stakeholders in most supply chains. These
provided the original work is
properly cited. companies do not own the commodities that flow through a supply chain; however, they
assume responsibility for their clients’ goods as they transit through warehouses or are
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with transported globally (Manotas-Duque et al., 2016).
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Outsourcing logistics in this manner has numerous benefits, such as reducing the
affiliations. burden of logistics activities, and making it increasingly common among organizations

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 185 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4714