The Director General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye has pledged to devote the greater part of her second tenure towards making Nigeria a vaccine manufacturing hub.
She also vowed to eradicate fake and counterfeit medicine by
addressing glitches in the country’s medicine supply chain.
While addressing a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, to
mark her reappointment for second tenure, Adeyeye said as part of her strategic
goals for 2023-2028 the agency would pursue the attainment of the World Health
Organisation (WHO) Vaccine Lot Release ML4 to position Nigeria strategically
for vaccine manufacturing.
Apart from ensuring good manufacturing practice of the
Nigeria vaccine company, Adeyeye said NAFDAC would strive to attain the World
Listed Authority (WLA) status that would enable global trade of Nigerian-made
pharmaceuticals through collaborative registration with other regulatory
agencies.
“We will seek to attain WHO ML4 and WLA status. Attainment
will enable global trade of Nigerian-made pharmaceuticals through collaborative
registration with other regulatory agencies
“Local Pharma manufacturers to be more competitive in
AfCFTA, attain Vaccine Lot Release ML4 to position Nigeria strategically for
vaccine manufacturing and ensure good manufacturing practice of Nigeria vaccine
company.
“We will essure quality, safety and efficacy of vaccines
manufactured in Nigeria or imported,” she said.
The DG also pledged that NAFDAC would establish vaccine
Clinical Trial Research and service pipeline for the local manufacturer while
pursuing newer initiatives to boost the fortunes of the country’s drug
manufacturing industry.
Adeyeye who expressed worry over the persistence of
counterfeit medicine in the Nigerian market,
assured that the agency would in her second tenure pursue newer
initiatives to monitor and sanitise the drug supply chain.
According to her, continual sanitisation of the supply chain
units would mitigate counterfeits and fake products.
She further assured that NAFDAC would scale up the track and
trace of imported and locally manufactured pharmaceuticals and establish
structured and active tracking and tracing through solution providers.
To this end, the DG said the agency would also initiate
track and trace of foods to ensure that they are safe for consumption.
She also said the agency would mount continuous vigilance in
order to reduce distribution of counterfeit medicines, and narcotics in the
country.
The NAFDAC boss also said other new interventions being
planned by the agency include: training of staff on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API)
regulation, developing NAFDAC-Industry API Manufacturing Regulation and enhance
Research and Development Training Platforms with the Pharmaceutical Industry in
the country.
Speaking on research and development, Adeyeye said NAFDAC
would iIncrease collaboration with the academia on regulatory science training
In addition, she pledged continuous strengthening of
regulatory activities and creative engagement of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs).
She assured that there would be more proactive interaction
with different sectors of MSMEs at the state level and better engagement on
exportation of regulated products
Thw NAFDAC DG also said the agency would be carrying out
investigation and enforcement as well as work collaboratively with the NDLEA in
mitigating substances or drugs of abuse.
In the area of staff welfare, Adeyeye said she would seek
the approval of Hazard and Regulatory Allowance (to be funded from NAFDAC
Generated User Fees) and also secure approval of Scheme and Condition of
Service for members of staff of the agency.
Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC would create Women’s Health Office to understudy drug,
cosmetics, and food products that affect women, the unborn and the child,
adding that, “it emphasise non misuse or
abuse of drug among women and impact on the child. More focus on maternal and
child mortality and morbidity rate.”
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