Lifestores Healthcare has announced a leadership change, marking a new chapter for the Nigerian healthtech company. Co-founder Andrew Garza is stepping back from his day-to-day role and transitioning to the board and an advisory capacity. The move follows eight years of hands-on leadership that took the company from concept to a platform serving millions of patients across Nigeria with improved access to quality medications.
Change at the Top
Pharm. Gloria Udekwe, a co-founder of the business, has been appointed chief executive officer to lead the company’s next phase. Garza praised Udekwe’s patient focus, collaborative style, and results orientation, describing the company as in capable hands under her stewardship. The handover follows a period of rapid growth as Lifestores scaled its technology and partnerships in a fragmented pharmaceuticals market.
Founder’s Next Chapter
Garza cited family reasons for relocating to London and will continue supporting the company’s mission through governance and strategic guidance. He is also taking on a role in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, where he will work on accelerators that connect entrepreneurial innovation with the NHS’s needs. The NHS initiative aligns with a long-term plan to digitize services and advance preventative, neighborhood-based care aimed at lowering costs and expanding access.
Business Model and Scale
Lifestores operates a B2B marketplace, OGApharmacy, that helps community pharmacies source quality medicines more efficiently and at lower prices. The company also provides software tools, including an enterprise resource planning system, to streamline pharmacy operations and improve procurement, inventory, and compliance workflows. Management highlights that the platform has delivered measurable value to independent pharmacies by cutting procurement costs and improving reliability of supply.
Funding and Governance
The company raised a $3 million pre-Series A round in 2022 led by Health54, the corporate venture arm of the CFAO Group, to accelerate product development and network growth. Governance has been a consistent theme, with investors, board members, and operating leaders collaborating through periods of currency volatility and supply chain pressure. The strengthened board and a clearly defined executive mandate are intended to maintain execution continuity during the transition.
Sector Backdrop
Nigeria’s pharmaceuticals market is large and growing, with significant headroom for technology-enabled distribution and quality assurance. Fragmentation across wholesalers and retailers creates inefficiencies that technology platforms can address through aggregation, data visibility, and logistics coordination. Industry stakeholders point to persistent risks such as counterfeit prevalence and uneven quality standards, underscoring the need for trusted supply chains and rigorous controls.
Impact and Execution
Lifestores frames its mission around democratizing access to quality healthcare by empowering frontline providers and improving affordability for patients. The company says it has helped thousands of pharmacies cut medication procurement costs by double-digit percentages while improving fulfillment reliability. These operational gains support pharmacies serving lower-income communities, where savings and assured quality can have outsized health and economic effects.
What to Watch
Under Udekwe’s leadership, priorities are expected to include deepening vendor relationships, expanding the pharmacy network, and investing in software that tightens quality assurance. Continued attention to unit economics, operating resilience, and currency exposure will be crucial in a market that has experienced sharp devaluations. Strategic partnerships with manufacturers, distributors, and payers could broaden the platform’s reach and support new services in chronic care and primary health.
Ecosystem Context
Leadership transitions among venture-backed African startups have become more common as companies scale and professionalize operations. Investors increasingly favor seasoned operating teams and strong governance to manage complex regulatory and logistics environments. Lifestores’ approach reflects this shift, pairing founder continuity at board level with an empowered executive to drive the next phase.
Lifestores Healthcare’s CEO transition formalizes a handover designed to sustain momentum while sharpening operational focus in a challenging market. With Udekwe at the helm and Garza supporting from the board, the company aims to extend its impact on medication access and pharmacy performance nationwide. Execution against quality, affordability, and network scale will determine how effectively Lifestores converts a strong mission into durable market leadership.