Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration has announced the commencement of efforts to establish a drug manufacturing agency to enhance access to high-quality pharmaceuticals and consumables.
Naija News reports that the Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made this announcement during the inauguration of the 7th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo held in Lagos on Wednesday.
This biennial event was co-organized by PMG-MAN and GPE Expo PVT. Ltd stands as the largest exhibition dedicated to pharmaceutical manufacturing in Central and West Africa.
The Expo, themed “Fostering Partnership and Innovation to Unlock the Pharma Manufacturing Value Chain in Nigeria, Central and West Africa,” featured participation from 55 companies from China and India, alongside 100 members of PMG-MAN.
Abayomi stated that the Lagos State Government is in the process of drafting legislation for the drug management agency, which will be presented to the cabinet before being forwarded to the Lagos Assembly.
“Many states have done it. We are left behind because we have so many industrial platforms in Lagos and Ogun states, and most of these drugs are produced in our vicinity.
“This will enable Lagos not only to promote local manufacturing but to also promote the idea of total quality assurance, including random testing alongside NAFDAC, and form a collaboration with the private sector,’ the health commissioner noted.
Abayomi praised PMG-MAN for leading the initiative to enhance domestic production to ensure drug sufficiency within the nation.
The commissioner encouraged local manufacturers to adopt global best practices, emphasizing that the security of medicines and national safety sufficiency are vital for the country’s survival.
“Today represents another of those occasions that you are making it clearly understood by all stakeholders and policymakers that this is what you require to drive that local industry of self-sufficiency in the health sector and the pharmaceutical industry.
“In so doing, we must ensure that we’re not putting our citizens at risk because a substandard drug can result in severe morbidity, sickness or death,” he said.
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