PAUL ADUNWOKE
The Director General of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Christian Adeyeye has said the agency under her leadership is committed in ecouraging local manufacturers in Nigeria.
She said this in Lagos during the commissioning of Sam Pharmaceutical Ltd, adding that it is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry.
The DG, gracing the occasion as the woman of the day said she has made efforts in encouraging local manufacturing in Nigeria, saying her leadership has been instrumental in shaping the pharmaceutical industry’s growth, particularly with the introduction of the five by five policy.
She said this bold initiative has encouraged local manufacturers to strive for excellence, resulting in a significant increase in local production, now standing at 50 per cent compared to the previous 30 percent.
Adeyeye explained that the impact of her policies is evident in the strides made by companies like Sam Pharmaceuticals.
She said, “The unwavering commitment to quality and safety has earned NAFDAC the prestigious regulatory status, a testament to her hard work.”
She said the event was not just to celebrate the opening of a new facility, but a milestone in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical journey.
“With more local manufacturing outfits emerging, we are seeing a shift towards self-sufficiency, making essential medicines more accessible and affordable,” Adeyeye added.
She noted that there has been a commendations for her tireless efforts in driving this change. As the legacy will continue to inspire and shape the future of Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
The DG said NAFDAC’s five plus five policy drives foreign investment, strengthens local pharmaceutical production to enhance local production of pharmaceuticals in Nigeria.
She maintained that steps will be taken to enforce the policy, which include at the point of first product registration, companies will be given a statement that foreign manufacturers will be required to either form partnerships with Nigerian companies or/and set up a local manufacturing plants.
A product registration license is valid for five years and by the end of the 4th year of license validity, companies are required to submit draft blueprints of proposed partnerships with Nigerian companies or/and set up local manufacturing plant.
She said upon successful renewal for another five years for companies with verifiable blueprints, NAFDAC will monitor the migration of the imported drugs to local production. At the end of Year seven, first five years plus two years into renewal, if there is no progress on migration to local manufacturing as detailed in the blueprint, an alert for de-registration will be sent to the company at the beginning of year nine.
Adeyeye said for products that have already enjoyed more than two cycles of renewals, companies are required to submit an immediate blueprint on migration to local manufacturing. Where a manufacturer has more than one product, a verifiable blueprint for local production of at least one product will be acceptable and allowed.
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