NAFDAC DG PAYS A WORKING VISIT TO EMZOR CAMPUS
About Emzor
Sahara Weekly Reports 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.
THE FACTORY VISIT
The NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye in company of Dr. Monica Eimunjeze (Director, Drug Registration And Regulatory Affairs (DRRA); Mrs Ijeoma Nwankwo, U. (Director, Drug Evaluation & Research (DER) and Dr. Gbenga Fajemirokun (SA-DG NAFDAC) visited the Ultra-Modern Pharma Factory known as Emzor Campus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) compliant factory is sited on more than 60 Hectares of land at the Shagamu Interchange of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway and is the largest pharmaceutical facility in West Africa.
The factory 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.
DURING THE VISIT
MRS. Uzoma Ezeoke the EDG. Emzor briefed the NAFDAC team on the Emzor Emzor group’s progress from inception to date. She said that the company has grown from the days of drug sales & marketing to manufacturing for the local and African market to exportation to UK and Netherlands in Europe and the United States of America.
This is in line with the Emzor group’s goal to be the number one name in pharmaceuticals on the African continent.
After the NAFDAC teams tour of the Factory; the team addressed their host, the Emzor group.
The NAFDAC DG, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye says “I taught pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States for 19 years and I usually would take my students to pharmaceutical companies as an extension of the class because I believe in experiential. Part of the training is the facility tour.
This facility that we have seen today can stand beside any facility in the US. To see what Emzor is doing gladdens my heart and makes us know that we can do it”.
She commended the Emzor work force on their dedication and commitment to the vision of Dr. Stella Okoli for the pharmaceuticals industry in Nigeria as well as upholding the standards set by NAFDAC under the management’s new structure and standards in the last three years to regulate the pharmaceutical industry in line with global best practices regulatory bodies.
She particularly praised the Emzor groups consumer targeted production and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) compliance. She said that Emzor is indeed a trail blazer of the industry and has indeed archived its vision of being the number one pharmaceuticals manufacturing company on the continent.
She concluded by affirming that Emzor has proven that anything is possible in Nigeria that whatever industry you operate in, if you build it to global standard the world will come to us.
Dr. Monica Eimunjeze (Director, Drug Registration and Regulatory Affairs (DRRA) also praised Emzor facility’s quality control and compliance with the NAFDAC regulations. She said that she had postponed her visit times before but is glad to have finally made it to the factory; that the world class facility is indeed a pride to the pharmaceutical industry and Nigeria.
She also praised the Emzor youth workforce that the future of the industry is assured with the training this young generation is being exposed at Emzor. That she’s particularly proud of the workforce especially the fact that the Emzor workforce is usually well represented like no other at NAFDAC organized trainings. She said that she expects an increase in the Emzor group international manufacturing partnerships.
Mrs. Ijeoma Nwankwo, U. (Director, Drug Evaluation & Research (DER) applauded the young workforce; the Vaccines and new Emzor 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 its kind in Sub- Saharan Africa.
Dr. Gbenga Fajemirokun (Special Assistant to the DG NAFDAC) also praised Dr. Stella Okoli for the young workforce and said seeing some of his old students working on such world class premises was a pride.
Dr. Stella Okoli thanked the NAFDAC team for taking the time out of their busy schedule to honor the Emzor family’s invitation to tour the WHO compliant facility. She reiterated that the Emzor group is committed to raising standards in the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria and Africa.
