In the pharmaceutical corridors of Port Harcourt, the riverine communities of Bayelsa, the urban sprawl of Uyo, and the winding roads of Kogi, a quiet transformation is underway—one that is changing how Nigerians, especially in underserved communities, access the medications they need to live healthier lives.
At the centre of this revolution is Samuel Ajibola Dada, a visionary pharmacist and the co-founder of Alltymz Pharmacy Limited. In just a few years, Dada has built a reputation not merely as a pharmacist, but as an architect of healthcare access systems that are delivering real, measurable impact in regions long neglected by mainstream pharmaceutical networks.
“We didn’t set out to build just another pharmacy,” says Dada. “We set out to solve a national problem—starting with the communities that had been forgotten first.”
Founded with a mission to democratize access to quality medications, Alltymz Pharmacy has grown into a multi-branch, tech-integrated, community-driven network that now spans several states in Nigeria. What distinguishes it is not scale for its own sake, but strategic placement in medically underserved areas, particularly in the South-South and North-Central regions.
Under Dada’s strategic leadership, Alltymz has launched and operationalized outlets and service points in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Yenagoa in Bayelsa State, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, and Lokoja in Kogi State—areas where access to safe, affordable medicines has historically been constrained by poor infrastructure, fragmented distribution, and unreliable pharmaceutical supply chains.
In Port Harcourt, Dada led the establishment of a flagship Alltymz outlet that has quickly become the go-to destination for chronic disease medications and patient counseling services. Unlike the typical drug shops scattered across the city, the Alltymz facility is fully digitised, enabling real-time inventory monitoring, prescription authentication, and equipped for remote consultations for patients in satellite communities. It also serves as a procurement and distribution hub for Alltymz partners in the region, including private clinics and NGO-run health centres.
“We’ve seen a 60 per cent increase in returning patients within the first 12 months,” Dada shares. “That tells us we’re not just selling medicines—we’re building trust.”
In Bayelsa, a state with unique geographic challenges due to its riverine terrain, Dada introduced a floating delivery system in partnership with local health volunteers. Leveraging a fleet of motorcycles and boats, Alltymz now delivers essential drugs to over a dozen communities that were previously cut off from regular pharmaceutical supply. The result? A great improvement in on-time medication access for hypertensive and diabetic patients across four local government areas.
In neighbouring Akwa Ibom, the Alltymz Uyo branch has become a model of digital-first community pharmacy, offering e-consultation services for patients who lack proximity to a licensed pharmacist. According to state-level surveys, this intervention has reduced prescription errors by nearly 40 per cent in participating private clinics who now refer patients directly to Alltymz for medication fulfillment.
“It’s not enough to place drugs on a shelf,” Dada insists. “You have to ensure they’re reaching the patient, being used correctly, and improving lives.”
In Kogi State, Alltymz introduced a subscription-based medication access model—one of the first of its kind in the region. Under this plan, patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension pay a small monthly fee to receive regular refills delivered to their doorstep or picked up at designated community health partners. This innovation has been a lifesaver for rural patients who previously faced monthly trips to Abuja or Ilorin just to access medication.
The model has also helped stabilise local drug pricing, reducing exploitative markups and building confidence in community-level pharmaceutical care. Stakeholders within Kogi’s Ministry of Health have begun exploring partnerships with Alltymz to scale the programme through state clinics, with talks currently underway.
What makes this success story particularly compelling is Samuel Dada himself. With a background that includes high-impact roles at CHI Pharmaceuticals—where he spearheaded vaccine access and chronic disease programs in challenging territories—Dada brought a unique lens to pharmaceutical entrepreneurship.
He combined strategic policy knowledge, field operations experience, and data-driven logistics expertise to reimagine what a pharmacy network could be. Today, Alltymz doesn’t just dispense medicines—it integrates care, builds data, and enables equity. Dada’s efforts have not only improved lives but have set a new industry standard for what pharmaceutical access should look like in the Global South.
A model for Africa and beyond
With plans to expand into more riverine and rural regions, and exploratory talks already initiated in Ghana and Liberia, Samuel Dada and Alltymz Pharmacy are proving that African-led solutions can—and do—solve African problems. Their work is also being closely watched by development agencies, health innovation hubs, and public sector stakeholders eager to replicate success in similar geographies.
“We’re just getting started,” Dada says. “There’s a generation of patients across Africa waiting for a new kind of pharmaceutical care. Our job is to reach them.”
In a world searching for scalable, sustainable, and community-based healthcare solutions, Samuel Ajibola Dada stands out not just as a pharmacist—but as a builder of hope, access, and equity.
From Port Harcourt to Kogi, Bayelsa to Akwa Ibom, the Alltymz story is not just about business growth—it’s about rewriting the script of what is possible when one man decides that no one should be too far, too poor, or too forgotten to access the medicines they need.
