Zipline, U.S.-based drone logistics company, is expanding its services to five additional Nigerian states by the end of 2025. This move follows a memorandum of understanding signed with the Nigerian government in September 2024, allowing Zipline to deliver essential medical supplies to remote and underserved areas using its drone infrastructure.

Currently, Zipline operates drone deployment stations, known as “nests,” in Bayelsa, Kaduna, and Cross River. The company is in talks with five more states to expand its network to seven nests, further strengthening its role in Nigeria’s healthcare supply chain.

Zipline’s country manager and partnership lead, Akin Oyediran, notes that the federal government is partnering with Zipline to work with different states, each with its own healthcare system.

Nigeria’s healthcare supply chain faces significant challenges, including poor drug storage, bad roads, and widespread counterfeit drugs.

Zipline’s drone delivery services aim to address these issues by providing timely and efficient delivery of medical supplies. With its drones capable of delivering medical supplies in as little as 30 minutes, Zipline is poised to make a significant impact on Nigeria’s healthcare landscape.

Zipline has already made a name for itself in Nigeria, particularly in Bayelsa, where it has played a key role in multiple health campaigns, supplying critical supplements and medications to residents.

The company has also partnered with Cross River State to distribute vaccines, medicines, and blood products to over 1,000 facilities statewide.