The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) as part of its ongoing 40th National Scientific Conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun State’s capital, on Thursday, visited the Emzor Group’s Ultra-Modern Pharma Factory located at the Shagamu Interchange of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.

Welcoming the Association to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) compliant factory sited on more than 60 Hectares of land, the Group Managing Director of the Pharmaceutical company, Dr. Stella Okoli said she felt elated by the presence of the executives and officials of the Association at the factory.

“I am indeed very excited by the presence of the Association’s representatives,  you are welcome to the largest pharmaceutical facility in West Africa. The  factory known as Emzor Campus is also (cGMP) compliant and has already manufactured and supplied millions of doses of medication ranging from antimalarials, paediatric care, vitamins and antiretrovirals to various international organizations through partnerships for public health intervention.” She said.

Speaking further, the Group Managing Director said; “Malaria is a leading cause of death on the African continent, Emzor now has API Manufacturing Technology Transfer and licensing agreement with India’s Mangalam Drugs & Organic Limited to locally manufacture and distribute Active Pharmaceutical ingredients  (4 API’s) for the treatment and prevention of malaria. This leads to the development of a world class API manufacturing facility in compliance with international standards and the first of t kind in Sub- Saharan Africa. This agreement affirms Emzor’s long standing position to strengthen the Pharma sector in Africa.”

Dr. Okoli while stressing the commitment of the pharmaceutical group to national development in all areas of life said;  “over the last seven years, Emzor has been a major football supporter. Emzor’s sponsorship partnership with NFF extends to the six national teams, including super Eagles with Emzor Pharmaceuticals being recognized as the official analgesics of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Super Falcons with a strategic partnership with Asisat Osoala, the falcons’ team captain as Brand Ambassador.”

Congratulating the Association for its 40th convention, Okoli said “the Association is making a great impact in the Nigeria’s Pharmaceutical industry and Emzor Group would not relent on its efforts to continually give the Association every necessary support.”

In his response, the National Chairman of the Association, Dr. Samuel Adekola said that the Association is in the factory to have an eye witness account of the great development in pharmaceutical industry. He said; ” Emzor Group is the foremost partner of the Association, Emzor is positioned as a platinum partnership of the Association. I felt the need for my people to visit as a form of solidarity. Seeing is believing, and we have seen and we have believed that Emzor is a trailblazer in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry. The place is massive and it is an unprecedented development in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, earlier, as part of the Association’s Scientific Conference the pharmaceutical company,  offered certificate vaccination training to Pharmacists in Nigeria via its 7 modules CPR/BLS Training Program to enhance pharmacy based vaccination delivery.

Speaking on the initiative, the National Chairman of the Association, Dr. Samuel Adekola said the aim of the training is to increase manpower in health delivery in Nigeria. According to him, “the training is essentially to increase the manpower in health delivery in Nigeria. The training would go a long way to help the country to achieve the goals of Universal Health Coverage. It is a fact that COVID-19 pandemic has raised the awareness of vaccination as a public health intervention and the ACPN, with the approval of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, is  licensing community pharmacists to commence vaccination of adults in the premises. Therefore, this training comes on board to prepare a good number of our members for the task.”

The training which was in partnership with the College of Pharmacy, Mercer University, United States of America (USA) had facilitators from the American Institution to train Nigerian pharmacists in the areas of background information about vaccines; vaccines conditions, patient screening, education and consent; storage, handling, delivering and waste management of vaccines; review of vaccination equipment/supplies; vaccine admnistration anaphylaxis and post vaccine info; recording and monitoring vaccination as well as competency skill check via exit examination. The pharmaceuticals company fully and partially sponsored the training fees of 125 Pharmacists, out of the 200 Pharmacists that  undertook the training.

Commending Emzor Group as the lead sponsor of the training, Dr. Samuel Adekola said the pharmaceutical company has once again demostrated its commitment to the development and professionalism of the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria.  “This is a profound testimony of Emzor’s commitment to professionalism and development of the industry in the country, on the vaccine training program, Emzor has gone beyond the ordinary.” He said.

In the same vein, the lead facilitator of the training, Dr. Kunle Tometi, from Total Pharmacy, Dallas Texas said; “Emzor Pharmaceuticals as truly an indigenous company has made another statement through this sponsorship as a leader in the industry.”

Speaking on the benefits of the training, Tometi declared that “the training is designed to boost health care delivery in Nigeria. And it is a good thing that the participants have been exposed to a lot of necessary information, ideas and skills that will guide them in their duties. Through this training, Nigeria can now boast of a good number of experts in the area of vaccination.”

Speaking on behalf of the Emzor Group at the training, Chukwu Ekwe, Head, Sales and Marketing Strategy, Zolon Healthcare Limited, a member of Emzor Group said, “Emzor is committed to bridging vaccination gaps in the country. Our leadership position in the industry is confirmed by the provision of intelligent solutions to the healthcare needs of our stakeholders. Anyday, anytime, Emzor Group is  committed to the training of manpower to boost Nigeria’s healthcare delivery.”

Also at the event, in showing their appreciation to Emzor Group, some of the trainees expressed their gratitude to the company and encouraged her to keep on supporting the development of the industry.

Pharma Peter Ochoche, the Secretary General and Project Coordinator, Young Pharmacist Group (YPG),  Nassarawa State, said he was participating in the training under the sponsorship of Emzor. “I am very grateful to Emzor, the company made it possible for me to participate in this training. This is not the first time the company is doing this kind gesture, the company has always been given us platforms to express and build ourselves.”

Also Pharma Boniface Cyprian Oke, from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State said Emzor gesture is a step in the right direction. “It is a fact that this training is a step in the right direction. Emzor is building a capacity that is unprecedented in the Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry. And I wish the company would continue is this direction.”

Emzor is a privately owned indigenous pharmaceutical company founded in 1984 by Dr Stella Okoli. The Company has grown into a legacy pharmaceutical company with 4 modern factories that manufacture over 140 world-class pharmaceutical products, such as analgesics (the widely used Emzor Paracetamol), vitamins, haematinics, anti-malarial, anti-tussive, antibiotics, antihelminthic, anti-histamine, antacid, and cardio-protective drugs. Emzor has a network of over 120 distributors covering public and private institutions across West Africa. Emzor is the largest indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturer in the country with over 120 products, all NAFDAC approved.