The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed concern over the country’s over-dependence on imported pharmaceutical drugs.
The governor who was represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, raised the concern at the maiden edition of the Pharma West Africa exhibition held at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos on Wednesday.
He stated that it is disheartening that over 95 per cent of drugs used in Nigeria are imported while only five per cent are produced locally.
He, however, pledged the state government’s support to pharmaceutical industries towards the production of drugs locally in the country.
Speaking as the host of the 3-day event, he said, “It is disheartening that out of the 100 per cent of drugs consumed in Nigeria, 95 per cent of those drugs are imported into the country while the remaining five are manufactured in Nigeria. Nigerians are good manufacturers of drugs. I therefore charged pharmacists to produce quality drugs that can pass the test for good quality.
“Pharmaceutical economy data is important to us. We import 80 to 90 per cent of the drugs we use in Nigeria. We manufactured just five per cent. I want to reckon with the fact that since we are a good manufacturer of drugs, and when we finish the product, we should subject them to thorough scrutiny.
“Nigeria in particular, Lagos has to be the big place for manufacturing of drugs, we are talking of investing more in manufacturing of drugs and creating an enabling environment that can attract big pharmaceutical manufacturers.”
Speaking as a special guest of honour, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, advised local pharmaceutical manufacturers to think about quality and shun mediocrity.
NAFDAC, according to Adeyeye, is poised to restore the dignity of the pharmaceutical industries and the quality of medicine in Nigeria.
She added, “The time couldn’t be better for this conference. I emigrated from Nigeria in 1980 for further studies. I was a pharmacist at the now Bowen University Teaching Hospital.
“We had missionaries that we worked with, anytime they were going on holiday, they buy medicals from Nigeria.
“These are missionaries going back to the United States. I would ask them, why are you buying medicine from Nigeria? It was because of the quality at that time. That was over forty years ago when the government knew what regulating was. When I left Nigeria, we were proud of our medicals but when I came back in 2017, it was a different story.
“NAFDAC never had good regulatory practice for 25 years and before my time, NAFDAC was removed from the board from 2011 to 2018.
“So, bring any product from anywhere in the world into Nigeria, there is nobody to monitor it. That was what I found when I came back. I decided that we are going to restore the dignity of the pharmaceutical industries and the quality of medicine in Nigeria.
“We started to think about quality. Whether you are a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer, think of quality. Without quality, we are wasting our time.
“To achieve this, what did we do? We started thinking about quality in NAFDAC. We started thinking of customers. We became customer-focused and agency-minded. If you are customer-focused and agency-minded that means you love your country but if you are not customer-focused and agency-minded, you do not love your country.
“I challenge Pharmaceutical industries. Why are we importing medicines that we can produce in Nigeria? Before my time, we had about 30 per cent of local manufacturing and 70 per cent of imports. We are changing the narrative. Why is that so?
“To get good quality medicines, you must have local manufacturing at the forefront. So with five-plus-five, local manufacturers have increased from 165 to 180. You cannot start a company without going through NAFDAC with your architectural blueprint. We don’t have mediocrity. We want quality from all of us.
“So that is the five plus five, the new approach to manufacturing and building quality. I challenge the industries.
Also, we have increased NAFDAC sealing. We had 9 products on the NAFDAC sealing but now it has been increased to 34 products that you cannot bring into the country because we have the capacity to manufacture them.
“If it can be done elsewhere, it can be done here in Nigeria. You cannot give what you don’t have. We are giving quality. We are thinking of quality. We are working round the clock to reduce substandard and falsified medicines.”
Earlier, in his welcome address, Managing Director, BtoB Events Limited, Mr Jamie Hill described Nigeria as the epicentre of the African market.
He said, “Nigeria is the epicentre of the African market when it comes to commerce. Pharmaceutical products are no different. There are 180 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Nigeria with over 230 million consumers. This is an opportunity for international manufacturers to meet with local manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure sufficient production of drugs for the people not only in Nigeria but the whole of Africa.
“The leadership of NAFDAC has ensured that the five-plus-five approach that if you are an international exporter of pharmaceutical products within the next five years, you need to manufacture to maintain your license. So it’s a stepping stone towards the promotion of local pharmaceutical industries.
“Like I said, Nigeria is an epicentre. Having 180 pharmaceutical industries is a large number and the commitment of the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria and all other federations in Africa to drive partnership to boost local manufacturing.”
The president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Prof. Cyril O.Usifo said there is a need for pharmacists and non-pharmacists to work together and if there is an opportunity to bring about leveraging new frontier in the pharmaceutical sector.
He called for commitment in advancing and bringing innovation into the pharmaceutical industry to improve the healthcare services in West Africa.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE