FG, Partners Move To Strengthen Local Drug Manufacturing For Health Security

The federal government and its development partners have renewed their commitment to strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing, describing domestic production of medicines as critical to Nigeria’s health security, economic growth and resilience against future public health emergencies.

The commitment was made on Friday, at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting to finalise activities under the IMPACT Project, themed: “Strengthening Local Medicines Manufacturing Capacity: From Concept to Action,” in Abuja.

Speaking at the meeting, the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr. Obi Adigwe, said the IMPACT Project had laid a solid foundation for transforming Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.

Represented by the Institute’s Director of Research and Head of Pharmaceutical Technology and Raw Materials Development, Prof. Philip Builders, the DG noted that the project, launched in 2023, was designed to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce safe, quality medicines locally and had recorded significant milestones.

He said the project has moved beyond policy discussions to practical interventions aimed at strengthening manufacturing capacity, promoting research and development, encouraging innovation and biotechnology, and building the skilled workforce needed for sustainable pharmaceutical production.

Adigwe disclosed that NIPRD had trained more than 100 young Nigerian scientists, researchers and pharmaceutical professionals under the project, describing the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s scientific leadership and pharmaceutical self-reliance.

Also speaking, the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, described the ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s health sector as creating unprecedented opportunities for local manufacturers.

He said primary healthcare agencies serve as the bridge between locally produced health commodities and Nigerians, making collaboration between manufacturers and healthcare providers essential.

Aina added that the agency was strengthening quality assurance mechanisms for medical commodities procured through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund to ensure value for money and improve healthcare delivery.

National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, said Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry was experiencing remarkable growth, noting that four of the top 10 best-performing companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2025 were pharmaceutical firms.

He urged local manufacturers to expand their ambitions beyond Nigeria’s estimated 230 million population to the wider West African market of about 460 million people.

Mukhtar said Nigeria’s recent accession to the African Medicines Agency (AMA) would significantly ease access to African markets by reducing multiple regulatory approvals across the continent.

The World Bank’s Team Lead on the IMPACT Project, Dr. Onoriode Ezire, said the institution would continue supporting Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector despite the close of the IMPACT Project.

He recalled that World Bank support initially focused on helping local manufacturers achieve World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification standards, before expanding to broader interventions addressing barriers to local production.

Ezire said a new World Bank Health Infrastructure Project (HIPS) would continue supporting local manufacturers through regulatory strengthening, technical assistance and investments, while the International Finance Corporation (IFC) would provide support to private investors.

Representing the European Union, Dr. Anthony Anyeke reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing ambitions through investments in regulatory strengthening, workforce development, technology transfer and improved market access.

He said local pharmaceutical manufacturing was not only vital for industrial development but also critical for health security, improved access to quality medicines, economic diversification and job creation.

Anyeke noted that the EU’s Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Products (MAV+) initiative was supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystems in six African countries, including Nigeria, and called for sustained collaboration among government, industry, development partners and financial institutions to translate commitments into concrete actions.