The Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish the Empower Academy Nigeria; a specialized training hub aimed at boosting local pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, announced the initiative on Sunday as part of Nigeria’s broader healthcare industrialization agenda.
Sharing a video on X, Pate explained that the move, made under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Empower School of Health, Geneva, and Nigerian authorities.
According to him, the academy will play a crucial role in helping Nigeria achieve its ambitious target of producing at least 70% of its pharmaceuticals and a significant share of its vaccines locally by 2030.
Major step toward pharmaceutical localization
He emphasised that this move marks a major leap forward in Nigeria’s efforts to localise the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, benefiting not only the country’s economy but also the wider region under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
- According to him, this historic development would not have been possible without the critical work of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), which was established by the President in October 2023 and is led by its National Coordinator, Dr. Abdu Mukhtar.
- Pate explained that PVAC has already attracted several high-value investment commitments and is mandated to significantly boost local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products with the goal of producing at least 70% of the pharmaceuticals and a large portion of the vaccines consumed in Nigeria by 2030.
“Beyond pharmaceuticals and vaccines, the initiative also aims to expand the life sciences manufacturing workforce, increasing full-time employees from the current estimate of 20,000 by tens of thousands.
“It seeks to establish at least two clients for biologicals, set up at least five new medical supplies and diagnostics platforms over time, and double Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market share in Africa to at least 15%,” he said.
Partnerships and government support
Pate noted that over 70 new healthcare manufacturing companies are already partnering on 22 large-scale projects currently under negotiation with various international financiers.
- Pate acknowledged the contributions of his colleagues, Minister Jumoke Oduwole and Minister John Enoh, who are co-leading the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, for their role in facilitating the initiative.
- He explained that Empower Academy Nigeria would address the country’s significant workforce shortfall in areas such as advanced manufacturing, regulatory sciences, and quality assurance.
The academy will deliver state-of-the-art curricula, train sector-specific faculty and students, and assist regulatory authorities like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in developing and training on standard operating procedures to strengthen the sector sustainably.
Focus on high-demand drug production training
Pate emphasized that the first focus of Empower Academy Nigeria is to train industry professionals on qualitative local drug production in high-demand and high-mobility sectors.
“Following that, training will be expanded to accommodate knowledge transfer in support of the local production of pharmaceutical excipients, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, and advanced dosage forms such as inhalers, extended-release medications, and dermatological patches,” he stated.
Acknowledging that much of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is concentrated in Lagos and Ogun states, Pate said that Empower Academy will be strategically located to promote balanced development across the country, offering mobile training solutions applicable to all regions.
“With a mandate and capacity to train and upskill thousands of professionals annually, underpinned by cutting-edge equipment and world-class facilities, Empower Academy in Nigeria will advance best practices in process engineering, regulatory compliance, quality control, environmental monitoring, business management, entrepreneurship, supply chain and distribution, as well as customer support,” Pate added.
He also highlighted that Nigeria was on track to secure at least €1bn in European Investment Bank financing, alongside $1bn in AFREXIMBANK financing, to support incoming manufacturers in the health and life sciences sector.
Pate revealed that Empower Academy Nigeria will offer certification courses in partnership with regional bodies and international organisations, including the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centres for Disease Control, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and the International Federation of Pharmacists. Courses will be taught by trainers with 10 to 20 years of experience.
“The effectiveness of the institution will be measured by key performance indicators aligned with global best practices, ensuring that the academy meets international standards and delivers high-quality training.”
“The Academy will serve as a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing training and is expected to address a critical workforce gap of between 5,000 and 7,000 skilled professionals in the country,” Pate added.
According to the Federal Government, Empower Academy Nigeria will train and upskill thousands of Nigerians annually in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulatory sciences, quality assurance, process engineering, and more.
