Nigeria Cannot Continue to be Dumping Ground, Says Anyakora As FG, World Bank Train Pharma Manufacturers

By Johnson Fadipe

Nigeria will soon become the hub of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa and beyond, if the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in the country lives up to its full potentials. CEO, Bloom Public Health, Professor Chimezie Anyakora, made this declaration on Tuesday in Lagos at the commencement of the second phase of the capacity-building workshop for local pharma manufacturers organized by the Federal Government and the World Bank.
Anyakora added that the reason for the program is to support drug manufacturers in Nigeria to produce quality medicines so that the nation’s pharmaceutical industry will stand strong.

“We can’t continue to be a dumping ground as a country and this is the reason this massive effort is being put together and I am happy that the federal government is supporting it. It is a journey to make Nigeria a big leader in drug manufacturing.
“The intention is to make Nigeria the India of Africa in drug manufacturing. This is why we are training the manufacturers so that they will be well-grounded to produce drugs that can compete globally”, he said.
Speaking further, Anyakora observed that that excellence in pharmaceutical manufacturing can be attained in Nigeria if the relevant industry players can scale up their games with passion and the right energy. He added that the Nigeria pharma industry is ‘falling our hands’ because all stakeholders have not done enough to compete at the global level, despite their capabilities.

On his part, the Honourbale Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Professor Akin Abayomi, stated that the essence of the event is to equip the pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria with what it takes not only to produce drugs that will meet local needs but also export and compete globally.

“The essence of this program is to see how we can increase the production of drugs that will meet local consumption and also produce drugs that meet the World Health Organisation’s GMP. It is also important for us to ensure that products that are produced in Nigeria have bioequivalence because it is not good to have a product that carries 500mg and what the patient gets after using the product is just 30%. We are ready to patronise local drug manufacturers as long as their products are standard”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Director, Chemical and Non-Petrochemical Industrial Development Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Onuorah Francis expressed its commitment towards working with relevant stakeholders in Nigeria to build a vibrant and formidable pharmaceutical industry that will not only meet local consumption but also play at the global level.

Onuorah further said that the Federal Government is ready to develop and make the industries in Nigeria work, adding that the ministry has met with stakeholders in the pharma industry and is ready to work with them to produce Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API).
Also speaking at the event, the Director, Foods and Drug, Federal Ministry of Health, Pharm. (Mrs) Bunmi Aribeana stated that Nigeria has about 169 pharma manufacturers, producing different ranges of drugs in different areas, but bio equivalent remains a critical factor that needs to be addressed. She urged all stakeholders to join hands together to build a vibrant and strong pharmaceutical industry that will compete globally.
In his remarks, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Professor Martins Emeje also charged stakeholders in Nigeria to work hard to build the pharmaceutical in Nigeria.