Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL), on Thursday, strengthened its relationship with Indonesian government, even as it awaits the Federal Executive Council(FEC) approval to commence production of vaccines in Nigeria.
The chairman, BVNL, Oyewale Tomori, while receiving the Ambassador of Indonesia and his team in Lagos, said the visit was to strengthen the relationship between Biopharma in Indonesia and Biovaccines in Nigeria.
“In 2019, we visited Biopharma and observed how they were able to produce vaccines. Currently, Biopharma produces a lot of vaccines which are accredited by World Health Organisation (WHO). We hope that the relationship with Indonesia will help us get a full range of vaccines that we need in the country and this visit today, is a step in the right direction,” Tomori explained.
On local production of vaccines, the chairman said that Nigeria supposed to have done groundbreaking opening ceremony of the vaccine facility, but the plan got shifted because of the extension of GAVI’s support for Nigeria in terms of vaccines.
“Nigeria supposed to graduate out of the GAVI support in 2021, but in 2018, that graduation was extended to 2028, hence the entire business plan that Biovaccines had in 2018, was thrown under the box. We had to go back to the federal government, got the details of the extended graduation and based on that, developed a new business plan,” Tomori stated.
Unlike what it was previously in 2021, when Nigeria was supposed to graduate 100 per cent off GAVI’s support, Tomori disclosed that, “What it is now is a staggered graduation, meaning, we are graduating product by product. By 2024 for instance, we will be graduating off support for Penta vaccine. It means Nigeria will be procuring Penta vaccine, 100 per cent with its money.
“This staggered plan is what we have now built into our business plan and did a funding provision for 10 years, to enable us have a bankable business case which we will then use to approach our funding partners. We are waiting for the Federal Executive Council, FEC’s approval of this new plan, to enable us activate the first phase of the project.”
Explaining further, the chief operating officer, BVNL, Everest Okeakpu said the business plan stated that by 2021 to 2024, Biovaccines must have designed and set up the facility and Research and Development (R&D) laboratory, set up quality control methods, achieved technology transfer, procure and start manufacturing of five vaccines/products.
“From 2025 to 2031, we planned to achieve filling and QC formulation technology transfer strategy for bulk facility and by 2027 and beyond, we planned to commence full cycle manufacture,” Okeakpu stated, adding that, all these depend on the approval from the ministry of health and the FEC.
The COO disclosed that the federal government had allocated 15 per cent of Nigeria’s vaccines procurement to Biovaccines. “This is to give Biovaccines a platform to say that Nigeria is serious, because post GAVI extension, it looks like Nigeria will never graduate from GAVI, but to stimulate interest, government had to give 15 per cent of the money allocated for vaccines procurement to Biovaccines to enable us woo technology and funding partners back to local production of vaccines.
“This agreement was signed by the minister of health in November 2020 and sent to the FEC for approval. Once FEC approves it, everything will get back on track, because everything is depended on that; it is like the negotiating power that Biovaccines needs to be able to reassure technology and funding partners that indeed, the project is still on track.”
