FG Advocates Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing to Boost Medicine Security
Government Pushes for Domestic Production of Medicines and Vaccines
The Federal Government has emphasized that local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical devices is crucial for achieving medicine security in Nigeria. This declaration came during the National Harmonisation Conference 2025 held in Abuja on Friday.
Conference Focuses on Presidential Initiative
Themed “Contextualising the Presidential Initiative to Achieve Local Production of Medicines and Vaccines in Nigeria,” the conference aimed to accelerate domestic production of essential medical products.
Olubunmi Aribeana, Director of Food and Drug Services at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, highlighted that local pharmaceutical manufacturing presents significant opportunities for:
- Job creation
- International trade
- Economic growth
- National security
“We cannot afford to be caught flatfooted like during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Aribeana, represented by Adeola Olufowobi-Yusuf. “All hands must be on deck to find innovative ways to achieve the goal of unlocking the health sector value chain.”
Benefits of Local Production
The government official outlined several advantages of domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing:
- Enhanced medicine sufficiency
- More affordable and accessible healthcare products
- Improved quality control
- Reduced reliance on imports
The ministry pledged to continue developing policies to attract investment and support initiatives strengthening the pharmaceutical sector.
Implementation Challenges Addressed
Omotayo Hamza, Supply Chain Management Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO), noted that while Nigeria has sufficient policies, implementation remains a challenge.
“That is why, for this particular meeting, there is one key word that I love, and that is harmonisation,” Hamza said. He emphasized the need for coordination among various ministries involved in local production efforts.
Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy
Pharmacist Chinelo Okonkwo addressed concerns about Nigerian-made vaccines, assuring they undergo rigorous testing before certification.
“Our trust should be more on Nigerian products than the parallel imports,” Okonkwo said. “Vaccine itself is a cold chain molecule… It is even better that it is produced here so that we can have it safe and efficacious for our people.”
Conference Objectives
Facilitator Olajide Adebola explained the conference’s dual national and regional focus, noting it would assess current policies and recommend improvements to achieve the Presidential Initiative on Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC).
Regarding high medicine costs, Adebola identified import components as the major factor, expressing optimism that government interventions would gradually reduce prices.
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The conference brought together stakeholders from public, private, and community sectors to develop actionable steps for enhancing local production and synthesizing outcomes into policy recommendations.
Credit: Premium Times