- Nigerian pharmaceutical companies now share 65 percent of the West African market, having so far invested N300 billion in machinery and quality upgrade in an effort to end drug importation into the country, estimated at $700 million.
- Four companies have so far obtained the World Health Organisation (WHO) pre-qualification, while four others are in line to obtain same, in an effort to dig into the local market and remain competitive in the international scene.
- Evans Medical, Chi Pharmaceuticals, May&Baker and Swiss Pharma have already obtained prequalification. These four companies, alongside four others that are processing the WHO prequalification, have invested $50 million in different levels of upgrade in the last five years.
- Similarly, ten drug firms have met the requirements of the International Standards Organisation (ISO), which now enables them to raise their competitive capacity in the international market. The companies that have achieved this feat include Afrabchem Limited, Chi Pharmaceuticals, Dana Pharmaceuticals, Drugfield Pharmaceuticals, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Fidson Healthcare, SKG Pharma Limited, Evans Medical and Swiss Pharma, as well as May &Baker.
“Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers have also developed manufactured and registered products for the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children’s Health,” said Okey Akpa, chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) , at the opening ceremony of the Pharmaceutical exposition in Lagos.
