Cuba and Nigeria have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their capacity in the area of regulatory activities in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, biological and other related fields, especially to mark 50 years of bilateral ties between both countries.
This agreement was signed on Monday in Abuja by Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Cuba’s Center for State Control of Medicines and National Devises (CECUED), to promote links in these spheres.
Speaking during the event, Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero, said, “The historic relations between Cuba and Nigeria are further strengthened with the signing of the MoU,” stressing that Cuba is prepared to share all its advances in medicines.
She assured that her country will also collaborate with Nigeria in statistical systems, their management and in institutions that treat communicable diseases as well as Cuban biotechnological products in human and animal health and in agriculture.
The Cuban envoy said, “We consider it appropriate to propose the resumption of collaboration in the tissue culture and promote meetings at the expert level with BIOCUBAFARMA and other Cuban institutions”.
She expressed profound excitement at the occasion, adding that the agreement will solidify the Cuba – Nigeria relations because of the Cuban heritage of Africa connection.
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, who signed the agreement on behalf of Nigeria, said the deal was aimed at promoting good regulatory practice and good reliance practice.
Adeyeye noted that part of the reliance practice that WHO expects from countries, is working closely together with other national regulatory authorities and sister agencies such as Cuba in this instance.
She said, “We have interacted at WHO level, at International Council on Harmonisation level but again, this is the beginning of a great relationship and a renewal of our own history, which will benefit our people.
“Cuba has a high capacity in biotechnology and we can gain a lot from that. Nigeria has very great capacity in regulatory system strengthening, and Cuba can gain a lot from it. So, it is going to be a win-win situation for both agencies of the two countries.
“This is just sealing that relation openly, more so for our medical products or food products or other regulated products. We need more information sharing with Cuba and the Presidential Executive Order that went out about two months ago underscores the importance of Nigeria working with other countries, Cuba in this case and Cuba working with us in terms of trading.
“Cuba has high intellectual competence in biotechnological products, vaccines and biological products and Nigeria will gain a lot from it and of course from NAFDAC perspective we are Maturity Level 3 going to Maturity level 4 and there is a lot that Cuba can also gain from us.”
