NAFDAC provided comprehensive training to stakeholders on local production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), the crucial components of pharmaceutical products responsible for their therapeutic effects.
The two-day workshop, “Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain,” aimed to build capacity and strengthen regulators and local manufacturers to improve access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighted the recent executive order as a significant step forward, facilitating easier importation of manufacturing goods by reducing customs duties and fees, but acknowledged that it replaces one challenge with another.
The training recognized the need to encourage and support local manufacturers to explore this critical area in the healthcare system.
She said, “This workshop is essential for preparing us before we start manufacturing. If we lack the capacity and understanding of what we’re working with, it’s only a matter of time before we fail. We are committed to building quality from the beginning, which involves capacitating regulators, manufacturers, and the future workforce. It’s about being mentally and intellectually prepared before we start manufacturing.
“Failure is not an option because NAFDAC is fully dedicated, with the support of partners like WHO, the Gates Foundation, USAID, and USP. We cannot do it alone, so we also rely on resourceful colleagues who have joined us from the US and other countries. This collaboration is crucial for building a solid foundation, not just for immediate success but for long-term sustainability.”
She disclosed that Emzor is expanding its facilities for antimalarial production, while a consortium led by Fidson, comprising five or six manufacturers, is focusing on producing analgesics, antibiotics, and cardiovascular medicines.
Meanwhile, Mr. Uchenna Okonkwo, Representative for Idemili North and South Federal Constituency and Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Food and Drug Administration and Control, made a statement.
“As legislators, we can enact laws to facilitate manufacturing in Nigeria. For example, the executive arm has already helped by allowing no VAT and no levies on the importation of active ingredients for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Our role is to ensure that these ingredients and laws passed by the executive translate into better productivity, efficiency, and efficacy in the pharmaceutical and food manufacturing industries.”
A representative from the United States Pharmacopeia, Dr Jude Nwokike, revealed that “We are here as part of the Promoting the Quality of Medicine Plus program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development.
Our work, as staff of the United States Pharmacopeia, involves setting standards for medical products and active ingredients. These standards guide regulators and the industry to ensure that medical products are of the highest quality.”
Dr. Walter Mulombo, WHO Representative in Nigeria, stated that the organization’s involvement aims to collect essential information to enhance support for NAFDAC in achieving its objectives.
He emphasized that the workshop focused on developing guidelines, training stakeholders, and collaborating with key partners like USP, the US Government, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and crucially, the manufacturers themselves, to achieve this goal.
Mulombo said, “Currently, Nigeria, like many African countries, depends heavily on imported APIs, with over 90 per cent being sourced from abroad.
We need to rethink our approach to health products for our continent and developing nations. This workshop is a significant step towards enabling Nigeria to start producing APIs locally.
“It’s important to highlight that local manufacturing does not equate to low quality. The WHO works closely with the Nigerian government, supporting them at the policy and regulation levels.”
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