…As NIPRD, Bloom, launches project
By Doris Obinna
Director general/chief executive officer, Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr Obi Adigwe, has said that with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pre-qualification (PQ), Nigerian pharma manufacturing sector is indeed on the path to global reckoning with promising initiatives.
He said this at the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Quality Improvement and Capacity Building a WHO Pre-qualification Programme launch.
The WHO Pre-qualification programme launch, held over the weekend was a World Bank funded initiative, implemented by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) in partnership with Bloom Public Health.
In his welcome address, Adigwe stated that the initiative to catalyze Nigeria’s emergence as a world leader in pharma manufacturing has finally begun after close to a decade in planning.
He said: “The capacity we will build in the industry is key to achieving medicines’ security. Ultimately, this will not only improve health and socio-economic indices, it will also underpin Nigeria’s emergence as the Pharma Hub within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).”
While commending the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Alhaji Mahmuda Usman, for ensuring continuity in terms of granting approval to programmes that would transform the entire spectrum of medicine safety and security in Nigeria, Adigwe also gave kudos to the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire and the Minister of State for Health, Dr Ekumankama Nkama, for their support in fast racking and facilitating the design of the WHO Pre-qualification programme.
On his part, the chief executive officer, Bloom Public Health, Prof. Chimezie Anyakora, while expressing his elation on the WHO Pre-qualification launch, said he had been worried for a decade about the beggarly position of Nigeria in terms of medicine security, even with the much great potential available to the country.
“In the past ten years, I have been worried that most of the medicines donated to Nigeria and running into half a million dollars, were not produced here. We did not seem to have a timeline for addressing this problem. As big as Nigeria is, it is sad that we don’t have up to ten Nigerian pharma manufacturers that are WHO Pre-qualified. We need to change the narrative. We have the expertise, the commitment and the resources.”
Anyakora, who also expressed immense faith in the WHO Pre-qualification initiative, added that the Nigerian pharma manufacturing sector is poised to take its leadership position amongst the league of global players.
“I believe the WHO PQ project is going to be one of the most impactful interventions in the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector, as it will enable us to compete globally and also increase and strengthen the local capacity of the pharmaceutical sector,” he added.
President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Professor Cyril Usifoh, lauded NIPRD and Bloom Public Health for collaborating to put up such a programme that would be of significant benefit to the entire Nigerian pharmaceutical sector.
According to him, there have been a lot of conversations on quality medicines in Nigeria recently. “Building capacity remains expedient in the development of the local pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria. NIPRD is doing well and needs to be encouraged. We need to source APIs locally to boost pharmaceutical production.”
In her remarks, the director general, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Christianah Adeyeye, represented by Kadija Ade-Abolade, said her agency played a huge role in the actualization of the WHO PQ programme.
According to Adeyeye, the move started with the efforts of the late Dora Akunyili who brought together Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers to consider qualification for the WHO GMP standard many years ago.
“The launch of this project in Nigeria is a bold step. We need innovative measures and sustainable investments to move our pharmaceutical industry forward in Nigeria,” she added.
