Speaking at a malaria vaccine workshop organised by his foundation in Abuja on Monday, Nwoko revealed that he has engaged researchers from the United States and the United Kingdom to drive the initiative. He recalled his journey to Antarctica six years ago, where he sought to highlight the devastating impact of malaria in Africa.
He said malaria is a massive burden in Nigeria and across Africa, yet little has been done to eradicate it. “Over 600,000 people die from the disease each year. Malaria is to us what COVID-19 was to the Western world, yet African leaders have not prioritised its eradication,” he lamented.
The Senator expressed disappointment over the lack of commitment from African governments in funding malaria vaccine developmen. He noted that when COVID-19 struck, Western nations swiftly developed safe vaccines and ensured mass administration, however, African leaders have not taken similar steps to develop a malaria vaccine despite the burden on the continent.
To further address this burden, Ned Nwoko disclosed that he has sponsored a bill to establish a dedicated agency for malaria research, treatment, and vaccine development, which he has committed to advancing in the parliament.
He clarified that this initiative is not intended to undermine the Federal Ministry of Health but to complement its efforts. He said the proposed agency, which will remain under the Ministry of Health, will receive direct funding from the Presidency to accelerate malaria-focused initiatives.
The foundation, he stated, will collaborate with pharmacists, local and international manufacturers, and government executives to secure financing for malaria vaccine research and commence local production. He emphasised that while Nigeria possesses the necessary resources, the challenge lies in prioritisation and effective utilisation.
“Nigeria is rich, its about how we prioritise what we do. It will not be a huge deal for Nigeria government to for example commit $500 million vaccine research. We all need to address this issue, the time has come for that to happen, he said.
Simon Agwale, owner of Innovative Biotech (USA), in his presentation at the works, said vaccine manufacturing is capital-intensive and would cost up to $200 million to set up a vaccine manufacturing plant. He, however, argued that Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector can only thrive and become self-sufficient if it scales up manufacturing.
According to him, the problem with Nigeria Pharma industry is that it focuses on packaging with no commercial value, making it difficult for any pharma firm to declare up to $10 million profit per anum. He therfore, urged government to prioritise local manufacturing.
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