…Nigeria to start vaccines manufacturing
By Matthew Denis, Abuja
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has certified and ranked the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), level three maturity as regulatory agency.
Nigeria has emerged the third country in Africa after Tanzanian as First, Ghana second to have attained this category.
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye made the disclosure during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
She said the journey started in January, 2018 when WHO gave 868 recommendations to meet before being recognised for maturity level three.
According to her, part of the requirements was that the agency would have to expand and equip its two drug and vaccine laboratories in Yaba and Oshodi to attain the specified standards.
Prof. Adeyeye revealed that putting serious effort through hurdles 33 of the recommendations were left and the WHO Benchmarking team came back in October 2021, and by that time they had cleared all the recommendations, and were waiting for when they will come physically to rebenchmark them.
“They came in February 21st to 25th, 2022 and it was a very tasking week because all the things they have met on the SharePoint the WHO came physically to verify them. They were satisfied with the international standard to protect our population and they told us we have attained maturity level three.
“ The WHO however told us that this shouldn’t be announced until we see the letter to that effect. Yesterday I was going through my mails and I saw the letter for grading NAFDAC to level 3 maturity.”
She added, “The maturity level three is World Health Organisation benchmark recommendation for Nigeria to start its vaccine manufacturing that can be marketable globally when maturity level 4 is achieved.
“ What we have achieved now is assuring Nigerians that the quality of our drugs are better and clinical licenses and guidelines are better. Regulatory inspections and laboratory testing are at the best stage.
“ When you hear maturity level three the next step is maturity level 4, which we are already working on to bring greater achievement, meaning that any drug that NAFDAC approves in Nigeria can be traded globally.”
The DG noted that they are already working towards maturity level four as this will enhance pharmaceutical industries in Nigeria as products approved by NAFDAC will be traded globally.
“I wish to use this opportunity to appreciate the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) which is in charge to recommend regulations. They worked tirelessly before those regulations were sent to the Ministry of Health and that of Justice as corrections were made and we scaled through all.”
She stressed that without NAFDAC and PCN, Nigeria would have been in trouble in terms of ensuring that the medicine our people take are of quality.
Also speaking, President, Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, Prof. Tijani Ahmed Mora commended NAFDAC for the giant strides attained through a collaborative measure with the council.