At a webinar lecture organized by The Cable Newspaper to commemorate its 10th anniversary with the theme ‘Addressing Costs of Medicines,’ Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), reiterated the agency’s commitment to bolstering local drug production in the country.

Adeyeye emphasized that improving this sector would help combat the high cost of drugs across the nation.

The NAFDAC DG, as stated in a release by the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, highlighted the government’s recognition of the importance of local content, aligning with NAFDAC’s objectives aimed at “an increase in the nation’s GDP and reducing unemployment.

“Locally manufactured medicinal products would be more accessible and affordable compared to the imported drugs,” while the “rejuvenation” of the local pharmaceutical industry will become a “panacea for the high cost of medicines in the country,” the statement partly read.

The Director-General of NAFDAC linked the expensive nature of local production to the devaluation of the naira and elevated exchange rates, expressing regret that this has significantly increased the cost of sourcing raw materials and equipment needed for manufacturing.

On the positive side, she praised the effectiveness of the ‘5 plus 5’ regulatory program in enhancing the availability and accessibility of pharmaceuticals.

Adeyeye said, “Two multinationals left and made the cost of drugs they produce to go up.

She restated,  “To encourage the local pharmaceutical industry to grow, Prof Adeyeye reiterated that NAFDAC under her leadership started the “5 plus 5” regulatory scheme where a company that has been importing drugs that the local pharmaceutical industry can produce will get a last five-year renewal.

“During the five-year renewal period, the importer must migrate to local manufacturing or partner with a local manufacturer.

“This is an outcome of a study that was done in 2019 that revealed that the top 5 drugs that are imported are also the top 5 drugs that are manufactured in Nigeria.

“More than 30 per cent of new companies in Nigeria are results of the ‘5 plus 5’ scheme, which has made many importers start building their own companies or partnering with local manufacturers through contract manufacturing. That is access. That’s the way to make drugs available, accessible.”

The NAFDAC DG further stated, ‘Our manufacturers import everything except water.”

Adeyeye expressed concern over the reliance on imported raw materials, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Excipients.

‘’I told the industry operators that we need to start making some APIs locally and that has resulted in EMZOR almost completing their facilities in Shagamu. They are going to be making four anti-malaria APIs – sulfadoxime, Pyrimethamine, Artemether and Lumefantrine. The Fidson consortium is also planning to manufacture some APIs.

‘’But we cannot start manufacturing locally without strengthening the regulations because we have never regulated local manufacturing of APIs.”

Adeyeye said NAFDAC would deploy traceability technology to monitor the supply chain, to check “substandard falsified medicines.”

Professor Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, reassured Nigerians that the President’s existing policy initiatives will soon have a beneficial impact on the prices of vital medical supplies.

He acknowledged that the increasing costs of medications are a worldwide issue and expressed dismay that Nigeria has been lagging behind for the past two decades.

Pate mentioned, ‘We are working hard to do so through the Presidential Initiative to unlock the pharmaceutical value chain that the President announced in October 2023. But there are two pockets of issues underlying what we are observing now. Nigerians are hurting.

“There is forex devaluation, which is on the supply side – the ability to buy materials, equipment and the infrastructure deficit. Some infrastructure for manufacturing that we have is not at the level that could meet up the demand that we have,’’ he stated.