TheCable

The federal government says it will ban the importation of syringes to encourage local production in the country.

Tunji Alausa, minister of state for health, spoke on Sunday during a visit to the Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited Syringe factory in Ogun state.

Alausa, who visited the factory alongside Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general (DG) of the National Agency For Food And Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said the government is committed to supporting local industries.

The minister said the visit was to “address the challenge of substandard medical device imports and promote indigenous manufacturing”.

He said syringe production in Nigeria needs to be restructured to enhance the availability of products and create job opportunities for citizens.

On her part, Adeyeye said NAFDAC will stop granting import authorisations for syringes.

She said the agency will begin “redirecting the focus towards local manufacturers and collaborating with them to enhance production standards”.

The NAFDAC DG said more local production of syringes in the country will reduce its prices over time.