Just In: Tinubu's Govt Makes Move to Boost Local Medicine Manufacturing
- The federal government signed three major health agreements with the EU and ECOWAS to boost local drug and vaccine production
- Vice-President Kashim Shettima said the move marked a commitment to innovation, investment and locally made healthcare solutions
- EU and Nigerian officials pledged continued collaboration to strengthen health systems and expand access to essential medicines
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The federal government has taken a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s pharmaceutlcal sector, signing three landmark agreements with the European Union (EU) and ECOWAS to enhance local manufacturing of medicines, vaccines, and health technologies.
The agreements were signed at an event in Abuja, on Thursday, October 30, as part of the EU Global Gateway initiative, aimed at supporting innovation and boosting investment in West Africa’s health ecosystem.
Source: Facebook
FG signs 3 agreements on pharmaceutlcal manufacturing
A statement cited by Legit.ng on Thursday, October 30, the pacts are: Enabling Local Manufacturing of Health, Immunisation and Nutrition Commodities in Nigeria (ELM-N); Quality Uplift for Advancing Local Industry in Medicine Standards (Qualimeds Nigeria); and Strengthening Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in West Africa, will support domestic producers and foster new pharmaceutlcal innovation.
Officials say the move will help build a “stronger and more resilient health ecosystem” across Nigeria and the region.
Shettima: “Nigeria is open for health investment”
Speaking at the Nigeria-EU Health Investment Forum in Abuja, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, represented by Uju Rochas, said the agreements reflect the government’s commitment to an innovation-driven health economy.
He said,
“Through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) and complementary frameworks, this administration has taken concrete steps to strengthen health governance, stimulate investment, and promote local manufacturing.”
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order on local pharma production marked a turning point, noting,
“Nigeria’s health transformation will not be driven by aid and dependency alone, but by government-led accountability and innovation: made in Nigeria, for Nigerians, and by Nigerians.”
EU pledges long-term health and investment support
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to partnering with Nigeria to strengthen health systems.
He said,
“We must build robust, resilient and efficient health and social welfare systems to ensure prosperity for all.”
Mignot added that the EU is shifting from aid to investment-driven partnerships, stating,
“More than anything, we want to support the paradigm shift in Nigeria and West Africa, from aid to peer-to-peer collaboration and dynamic investment.”
Nigeria pushes for affordable access to medicines
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, said the initiative aligns with reforms aimed at improving access to quality healthcare.
He noted,
“The absorptive capacity of the Nigerian economy is enormous, and both the EU and Nigeria can win together.”
FG: Local production is a security priority
Source: Twitter
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammadu Pate, represented by Dr Olubunmi Aribeana, emphasised that Nigeria intends to produce medical products not only for domestic use but for the region and beyond.
He stated,
“Local production of health commodities is not merely an economic choice; it is a strategic health security priority.”
He explained that the government’s Renewed Hope Health Agenda focuses on expanding local production, improving access to medicines, and reinforcing reproductive health services.
FG explains why other countries recruit Nigerian doctors
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, has revealed the reason other countries are recruiting Nigerian doctors, nurses and other health workers.
Pate said Nigerian health workers are recruited overseas because of the level of training they receive in Nigeria.
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Source: Legit.ng
