Drone logistics company Zipline and the Nigerian government in Bayelsa state have announced the opening of the medical drone distribution centre that will be the hub of medical deliveries in the state.

Officially commissioned by Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, the latest milestone marks a significant step in the state’s commitment to developing more effective, self-sufficient and resilient healthcare infrastructure.

Zipline added that the hub will be especially important after United States president Donald Trump effected a freeze on global aid funding, affecting access to life-saving healthcare services in Nigeria and across the world.  

Integrating warehousing, cold storage, and inventory management to enable rapid, on-demand medical deliveries, the centre will serve hundreds of health facilities and community delivery sites within its 38,000 square kilometre coverage area, creating routine access in even the most remote parts of the state.

“These developments are not merely structures; they reflect our shared commitment to providing quality healthcare services to Nigerians, regardless of their location,” minister Pate said.

“The integration of technology, such as the Zipline drone flight services, signifies a bold step toward innovative healthcare delivery.”

Since Zipline started operations in Bayelsa in 2023, the company has delivered over one million vaccine doses, and more than 71,000 units of essential medicines and led multiple high-impact vaccination and health campaigns that have provided hundreds of thousands of supplements and tablets to residents across the state.

Building on this momentum, the company will be expanding operations in the state, increasing its reach to 73 out of 83 wards and further strengthening its role as a key partner in the federal and state governments’ commitments to improving healthcare outcomes.

Zipline’s autonomous drones are capable of a 200km roundtrip and operate regardless of weather or terrain, ensuring seamless, on-demand deliveries to hospitals, primary healthcare centres and drop sites within zero-dose clusters across the state.

The distribution centre will continue to play a vital role in reducing stockouts, improving emergency response, and strengthening supply chains for all medical products.

“The Zipline technology is a tailor-made response and solution to the obstacles to timely delivery of pharmaceutical supplies posed by the state’s unique riverine terrain,”Governor Douye Diri said.

Through the use of drone technology, over twenty thousand zero-dose children have been vaccinated, ensuring a healthy start to life.”

With the new hub in Bayelsa now up and running, Zipline now operates thirteen distribution centres across Africa, with its operations on the continent fully locally led and staffed, creating 30–40 high-skilled jobs per distribution centre, with in-house training and certification for pharmacists, engineers, and technicians.

“As Nigeria continues to prioritise capacitating communities to meet citizens’ needs, Zipline is committed to working alongside government and local partners to ensure seamless integration of our technology to strengthen health systems around the country,” saidAkin Oyediran, Partnerships Executive at Zipline Nigeria.  

Across Africa, Zipline has now directly created more than 400 jobs while indirectly contributing to rural economic development through infrastructure investments and local partnerships.

Zipline has also invested significantly in building local health system capacity. Through a Zipline-managed and Gavi-funded program in the state, hundreds of community health workers who are residents of zero-dose clusters have been equipped and empowered to offer vaccination and primary health care services.

As a result, tens of thousands of children who had never received a single vaccination now have full immunisation coverage.