Nigeria is set to significantly boost its local drug production as part of a new partnership between the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain and the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP).
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, announced this development in a post on X on Monday, August 5th.
This agreement aims to enhance local drug production and regulatory oversight, with a target of achieving 70% local production and creating 30,000 new jobs by 2030.
The partnership seeks to establish a centralized facility for bioequivalence studies and advanced analytical laboratory services. This facility will ensure the quality of locally produced pharmaceuticals by leveraging USP’s global expertise, thereby boosting local manufacturing capabilities.
“The collaboration will enable the local production of complex formulations and enhance regulatory oversight capabilities through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). This aligns perfectly with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” said Muhammad Pate.
One of the core objectives of the MOU is to develop active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical-grade excipients.
What you should know
Nigeria’s healthcare sector faces numerous challenges, including a heavy reliance on imported pharmaceuticals, limited local production capacity, quality control issues with locally produced medicines, inadequate regulatory oversight, and a brain drain in the healthcare sector.
Nairametrics reported that medications worth N81.81 billion were imported into Nigeria from July to September 2023, marking a 68% increase from 48.74 billion naira in the same quarter of 2022 and a 27% rise from N64.38 billion in the previous quarter.
To address this, the Federal Government in February 2024 signed an executive order to curb escalating drug prices. This executive order is a short-term measure, while the mid to long-term goals involve the domestication of imported drugs within the next three years, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment.
In a strategic move to fortify the pharmaceutical infrastructure, the government is constructing pharmaceutical-grade warehouses in 21 states, with two additional warehouses at the federal level.
This infrastructure development aligns with the broader goals of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
This MOU aims to reimagine Nigeria’s health sector by enhancing local pharmaceutical manufacturing and ensuring the quality of locally produced medicines, thereby reducing import dependence and improving health outcomes nationwide.
