Why Nigeria is yet to become medicine manufacturing hub – Pharmacists

Pharmacists in Nigeria have revealed that low investment and interest in drug and vaccine manufacturing persist because importing remains more profitable and commercially-viable for investors in the sector.

Ayuba Ibrahim, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, stated that setting up a drug manufacturing plant in Nigeria is extremely capital-intensive due to the country’s inadequate infrastructure.

Speaking at a one-day malaria workshop organised by the Ned Nwoko Foundation on Monday, Ibrahim explained that local manufacturers struggle to compete with importers due to the high cost of operations. As a result, stakeholders often opt for importation rather than establishing manufacturing plants.

“It is very capital-intensive to set up a drug manufacturing plant in Nigeria because of our lack of infrastructure. We do not have a stable electricity supply, so if you want to set up a manufacturing plant, you must generate your own electricity. We also lack adequate water supply, so you must establish your own water treatment facility, and so on.

“At the end of the day, when you attempt to manufacture the same drugs that are imported, your locally produced drug becomes more expensive than the imported one,” he said.

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Ibrahim emphasised that the Government must create a more conducive environment before local drug manufacturing can thrive, noting that manufacturers in the sector are struggling significantly.

He urged the Government to declare an emergency in the pharmaceutical sub-sector and implement policies that would alleviate the burden on local manufacturers. This, he said, would enable Nigeria to produce life-saving medicines and vaccines for diseases such as malaria, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives annually, and reduce dependence on foreign imports.

Muhammad Pate, coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, represented by Godwin Ntadom, director of Public Health, stated that vaccines are one of the key interventions needed to facilitate the elimination of malaria. He reiterated that the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda aims not only to eliminate malaria but also to utilise vaccines as a vital tool in achieving this goal.

With Nigeria accounting for more than 27% of global malaria cases and 31% of malaria-related deaths, Pate stressed the urgency of initiating local vaccine production.

The minister assured that the Federal Ministry of Health would explore collaborations with the Ned Nwoko Foundation to establish a sustainable malaria vaccine manufacturing ecosystem in Nigeria and beyond. He commended the Foundation for its commitment to reducing childhood mortality in the country.

Ned Nwoko, founder of the Foundation and Senator representing Delta North, highlighted malaria as a major public health challenge in Africa, describing it as the continent’s biggest killer. However, he lamented that not enough has been done to combat the disease effectively.

“As a lawmaker, I have sponsored a bill to establish an agency dedicated to malaria research, vaccine production, and treatment. This agency, which will operate under the Ministry of Health, will receive more funding from the presidency. While a presidential task force on malaria exists, it has achieved little beyond ceremonial announcements,” Nwoko stated.