Dr Abdul Mukhtar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Unlocking Healthcare Value-Chain Initiative, has emphasised Nigeria’s strategic commitment to the complete value chain of vaccine production.
He said such would position the nation to emerge as a key player in West Africa’s vaccine manufacturing sector.
Mukhtar expressed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna State.
It was on the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the second phase of the AMA medical manufacturing plant.
Unlocking the value chain initiative represents a significant step forward in President Bola Tinubu’s government’s efforts to address health emergencies and improve the overall quality of healthcare in the state.
“With a more aggressive and coordinated approach, the government is confident that it can make a real difference in the lives of Nigerians and ensure that everyone has access to the care they need when they need it most.”
The coordinator said the Nigerian government was engaging with global pharmaceutical companies, offering support in policy regulations to facilitate manufacturing processes.
Emphasising the importance of generics, he highlighted the potential to produce affordable medications with the same quality as patented drugs.
“Generic contains the same chemical substance as a medication initially protected by patents. These drugs become available for sale after the expiration of the original patents.
“Due to the identical active chemical substance, generics typically perform equivalently to their patented counterparts.
“While sharing the same Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) as the original, generics may vary in aspects like manufacturing process, formulation, excipients, colour, taste and packaging,” he explained.
He said that generic drugs had emerged as a viable option, offering substantial savings without compromising on the quality and efficacy of treatment in countries like India and China.
On the plant, he said the location of the facility in Kaduna presented a lucrative opportunity to cater for the large market in northern and central Nigeria, as well as neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
“Anticipating significant growth, stakeholders are optimistic about Nigeria’s emergence as a key player in the regional pharmaceutical industry,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Pate, reiterated on its X page “Twitter” that the objectives of the presidential initiative to unlock the country’s healthcare value chain included the restructuring of the nation’s health product manufacturing ecosystem.
He said it meant to enhance domestic production of life-saving medicines, vaccines and biologics.
Pate said that in pursuit of the goal, the ministry engaged with a diverse range of companies, both domestically and internationally, to foster the development of new biotech capabilities in the country, including the creation of high-quality jobs in the health and pharmaceutical sectors.
“Over the past 12 weeks, the ministry has observed and documented significant interest from leading industry figures.
They include both private and publicly traded firms, in collaboration with the country, to drive the health sector renewal investment agenda and positively transform the value chain.
“In Brussels, we are thrilled to announce the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with Univercells SA, a Belgian public limited liability company.
“The MoU focuses on the adoption of biotechnology for Nigeria and aims to facilitate cooperation in establishing the necessary infrastructure.
This includes training capabilities for local research, development and manufacturing of medicines of both human and animal public health importance,” he said.
The minister said the agreement represented a major step forward in realising the ambition to save more lives and provide affordable healthcare for all Nigerians.
“Through the agreement, we aim to collaborate with the group to expedite the development of the biotech sector and revolutionise the availability and affordability of essential biotechnology products for our citizens,” he said.
