‘87 pharmaceutical manufacturers benefitting from govt incentives’
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to deliberate policies and strengthened regulatory systems as key drivers of growth in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector. Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adekunle
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to deliberate policies and strengthened regulatory systems as key drivers of growth in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adekunle Salako, said the sector remains central to the country’s economic and healthcare agenda, particularly in achieving medicine security.
Salako spoke during the commissioning of an ultra-modern manufacturing facility by SAM Pharmaceuticals Limited in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, attended by government officials, industry players and international stakeholders.
“This expansive pharmaceutical manufacturing facility strongly aligns with the Nigeria First philosophy of Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
He noted that recent reforms, including executive orders to support local production, are beginning to yield results, with manufacturers benefiting from incentives such as zero tariffs on machinery and raw materials.
The Minister disclosed that 87 local manufacturers are currently benefiting from government incentives, while additional projects, including the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and diagnostic manufacturing, are underway.
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He added that efforts are ongoing to strengthen research capacity, including the establishment of an API Capacity Building and Production Centre, and urged manufacturers to ensure that policy incentives translate into affordable medicines for Nigerians.
The Director General (DG) of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, linked recent investments in the sector to regulatory reforms and consistency.
“What we are witnessing is a culmination of deliberate government policies and a dogged regulatory system,” she said.
Adeyeye highlighted the impact of NAFDAC’s “five plus five” policy and the “ceiling list,” noting that both measures have enabled local manufacturers to expand operations and utilise installed capacity.
She also disclosed that Nigeria’s regulatory system has been re-benchmarked to the World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML3), the first in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve the feat after re-evaluation, with the agency targeting higher global standards.
“Quality is synonymous with trade. When quality is built into the product, trade will be enhanced,” she said.
The NAFDAC DG added that the push for local manufacturing has driven measurable growth, particularly through partnerships and contract production.
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“We insisted that you must migrate to local manufacturing or if you don’t have the capacity, you should partner with a local manufacturer. We now have a sixfold increase in local manufacturers. No investor would like to invest where the regulatory system is weak,” she said.
India’s Consul General, Kannan Chockalingham, attributed growth in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector to improved regulation and policy direction, pledging continued support in technology transfer and capacity building.
Chairman of FIDSON Healthcare Plc, Fidelis Ayebae, said policy direction has been critical to industry expansion.
“What we are witnessing would not have been possible without the NAFDAC DG,” he said.
He added that reforms have shifted the balance between imported and locally produced medicines.
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“The ratio of imported pharmaceutical products to the locally manufactured medicines has moved from 70-30 to 50-50,” Ayebae said.
On his part, Chairman of SAM Pharmaceuticals Limited, Amit Bhojwani, described the regulatory environment as supportive.
“In this journey, our regulator has been our partners,” he said, noting that the agency has helped position locally made products to meet global standards.
The Ogun State Government also reaffirmed its commitment to industrial growth. Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele said the state would continue to support investors.
“We will stop at nothing to enhance the ease of doing business to grow the nation’s economy and create employment opportunities,” she said.
