Pharmacists have identified weak government policies on the pharmaceutical sector as major factors hindering the growth of local drug production and the availability of affordable drugs to Nigerians.
They also linked the challenge to the proliferation of fake drugs in the country and its attendant health consequences.
According to them, the economic hardship is forcing many Nigerians to look for affordable drugs and also creating loopholes for suppliers of fake and expired medicines.
They emphasised the need for collaboration between pharmaceutical manufacturers and the government to increase domestic manufacturing capacity.
Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise, the pharmacists stressed that improved local drug production would help resolve current scarcity and hikes in prices of essential drugs in the country.
On his part, a pharmacist and the Vice Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ogun State Branch, Olumide Obube, bemoaned what he described as the “poor local drug manufacturing capacity”.
Obube, a member of the Ogun State Drug Control Committee, said Nigeria depends heavily on imported medicines, making the supply chain vulnerable to infiltration by counterfeiters.
He said, “Weak pharmaceutical manufacturing policies hinder the production of high-quality, affordable local drugs. The government should mandate that a percentage of government drug procurement comes from local manufacturers.
“Also, low-interest loans and tax incentives should be offered by the government to boost local drug production because many Nigerians cannot afford original, high-quality medications due to economic hardship and this demand for cheaper alternatives creates a market for fake and substandard products.”
“The government should also reduce bureaucratic delays for locally made drugs that meet safety standards, encourage the establishment of more WHO-certified pharmaceutical plants in Nigeria and establish public-private partnerships to support high-quality pharmaceutical production,” Obube said.
The National Chairman of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria, Kenneth Onuegbu, noted that local drug production would not only promote drug and medicine security but also attract foreign direct investment and improve the economy.
Onuegbu, however, stressed that the government must ease the process of doing business to encourage local investment in domestic drug production.
Onuegbu cited foreign exchange scarcity as a major challenge facing the industry, with the current exchange rate making it difficult for importers to access forex.
“The rate of the currency is above N1000 now. The value of our naira now is extremely poor, and if you want to buy something from abroad, it’s over N1000, and by the time you do your costing here, who and who can afford it in the country?” he questioned.
Onuegbu advocated for policies supporting local manufacturers, including reliable power supply, good road networks, and accessible forex.
“Once the ease of doing business is improved, our local players and average Nigerians will enjoy it, and it will also reduce the production of fake and adulterated pharmaceutical products,” he said.
Also, the Head of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs for Shalina Healthcare, Emeka Adimoha, emphasised the need for policy reforms to promote local production.
He lamented that some government policies were choking pharmaceutical manufacturers. The pharmacist further called for a deliberate effort to make Nigeria productive.
“There should be a deliberate effort to make Nigeria productive, and in that deliberate effort, it will need everything that is needed in that chain. We need to sit down and look at them.
“If you want to woo investors into Nigeria to come and manufacture, and the raw materials they will need will be attracting high duties, it will not make sense. There is a need for a holistic approach,” Adimoha said.
