The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has renewed its campaign for local vaccine manufacturing, calling on international partners to support efforts aimed at establishing vaccine production facilities in Nigeria.
The appeal was made by NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, during the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo held in Lagos, where stakeholders gathered to discuss the future of pharmaceutical production and healthcare security in the country.
Adeyeye said local vaccine production has become increasingly important as Nigeria seeks to strengthen its healthcare system and achieve higher global regulatory standards.
According to her, one of the major requirements for attaining the World Health Organisation’s Maturity Level 4 status is the ability to conduct vaccine lot release activities, a process that depends significantly on local vaccine manufacturing capacity.
She noted that while NAFDAC has successfully met most of the benchmarks required for medicines and vaccines regulation, the absence of domestic vaccine production remains a major gap.
The NAFDAC boss acknowledged the contributions of international development partners in helping the agency attain WHO Maturity Level 3 and urged them to extend their support to vaccine manufacturing projects, particularly fill-and-finish modular facilities.
Adeyeye recalled that Nigeria once had vaccine production capability and insisted that the country must return to that path to improve health security and reduce dependence on imports.
She also praised President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order 2024, describing it as a significant intervention that has provided relief and incentives to local pharmaceutical manufacturers operating under challenging economic conditions.
According to her, reforms implemented by the agency, including extensive Good Manufacturing Practice audits conducted on pharmaceutical firms, have contributed to improved product quality and a significant reduction in the importation of some categories of medicines.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Oluwatosin Jolayemi, called for the extension of the presidential executive order beyond its current expiration date in 2027.
He argued that sustained policy support is essential to achieving medicine security and encouraging long-term investments in local pharmaceutical production.
The two-day expo attracted more than 130 companies from Nigeria and several countries across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, reflecting growing international interest in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector.
Industry stakeholders believe that strengthening local production capacity could help reduce medicine shortages, lower healthcare costs and improve the country’s preparedness for future public health emergencies.
