Developing Health Procurement Specifications: A Case Study from Nigeria and Kenya

Context

This case study is based on practical implementation guidance shared during Health Procurement Africa’s (HPA) Ask the Expert webinar on specification development in public health procurement. The session presented applied examples from Nigeria and Kenya illustrating how public-sector health systems develop, review, and manage procurement specifications to support effective healthcare delivery.

Watch the full Ask the Expert webinar recording here.

Introduction

A procurement specification is a statement of needs or requirements that provides a detailed description of the goods or services to be supplied. In public healthcare procurement, specifications are essential because they define what suppliers must deliver and establish measurable performance criteria.
Well-developed specifications support transparency, standardization, and value for money. They also form part of the contractual documentation used to manage supplier performance. This case study explores how public health systems in Nigeria and Kenya develop specifications through structured stakeholder engagement and national health policy frameworks.

Specification Development Framework

Stage	Purpose
Establish Business Requirements	Work with stakeholders to define needs and convert individual preferences into organizational requirements
Write the Specification	Develop standardized technical descriptions and performance criteria for goods or services
Approval and Governance	Validate specifications through internal governance processes
Issue to Market	Include specifications within procurement documentation and supplier invitations
Manage Amendments	Maintain processes for updating specifications when requirements change

Case Application: Nigeria’s Essential Medicines List

In Nigeria, procurement specifications for medicines are largely developed at the national and state levels through the Essential Medicines List (EML). The national list is reviewed approximately every three to four years by a statutory review committee to ensure the healthcare system continues to focus on the most important medicines for both adults and children.

State governments adopt the national list while tailoring it to local disease patterns and health priorities. For example, Nasarawa State uses the Essential Medicines List to guide treatment and procurement across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities.

The Nasarawa State list covers 27 disease areas and includes more than 273 products. Health workers and clinicians provide feedback through cross‑functional committees, such as Drug and Therapeutics Committees, which evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medicines and recommend additions or removals based on treatment guidelines.

Stakeholder Collaboration in Specification Development

In developing detailed specifications, the Nasarawa State Drugs and Supply Management Agency conducted a structured stakeholder mapping exercise to identify key internal and external contributors.

Stakeholder Group	Contribution
Pharmacists	Provide technical expertise on pharmaceutical specifications
Clinicians	Identify treatment requirements and clinical priorities
Procurement Specialists	Ensure specifications support competitive sourcing processes
Laboratory Experts	Define requirements for diagnostics and reagents
Health Facility Representatives	Provide operational insight on product usage

Stakeholders were divided into specialized focus groups to review existing lists and develop updated specifications. The process resulted in agreement on 525 health products, including maternal and neonatal child health tracer commodities and bespoke specifications for newly introduced medicines.

Kenya’s Essential Lists and Regulatory Framework

In Kenya, procurement specifications are developed through several national essential lists, including the Kenya Essential Medicines List, the Essential Medical Supplies List, the Essential Diagnostics List, and the Kenya National Formulary.

The Directorate of Health Products and Technologies coordinates this process using structured technical working groups composed of public‑ and private‑sector specialists, researchers, and clinical experts. All participants are required to declare conflicts of interest to ensure unbiased selection of medicines and medical products.

Key Elements of Kenya’s Specification System

Component	Purpose
Essential Medicines List	Defines medicines approved for use across healthcare levels
Essential Diagnostics List	Identifies diagnostic tests required for different levels of care
Kenya National Formulary	Provides detailed clinical guidance on medicine use
Regulatory Oversight	Ensures all products meet quality standards through the Pharmacy and Poisons Board

Implementation Challenges

Developing effective procurement specifications requires balancing clinical preferences with procurement efficiency. One challenge is the tendency of health facilities to prefer specific brand‑name products rather than generic alternatives.
Procurement teams must also manage technical challenges such as closed‑system diagnostic equipment that requires proprietary reagents, while ensuring competitive procurement processes remain possible.

Lessons Learned

The experiences of Nigeria and Kenya highlight several lessons for specification development in public health procurement. First, cross‑functional collaboration between clinicians, pharmacists, and procurement specialists is essential to produce accurate and practical specifications.

Second, national essential lists help standardize products across the healthcare system, reducing duplication and improving procurement efficiency. Third, governance processes and regulatory oversight are critical to ensure specifications remain aligned with clinical evidence and public health priorities.

Conclusion

Developing effective procurement specifications is a critical component of public health supply chains. By combining clinical expertise, stakeholder collaboration, and structured governance frameworks, countries such as Nigeria and Kenya have strengthened their ability to procure safe, effective, and cost‑efficient medicines and medical technologies.

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