TheCable

Olorunnimbe Mamora, minister of state for health, says the federal government will not allow other countries turn Nigeria into dumping ground for foreign drugs.

Mamora spoke on Wednesday at the 5th Nigeria pharma manufacturers expo 2019, an international exhibition on complete pharma manufacturing in Lagos state.

The minister said the country is committed to homegrown drugs, adding that the federal government had seen demonstrable abilities of her regulatory agencies and establishments to prevent dumping of foreign drugs in Nigeria.

“We are not just talking about drugs sufficiency, we are talking about home grown; that is looking at what we have on ground to get the best out of the system and this is very important,” Mamora said.

“Often times, in some of our hospitals, you hear out of stock. We need to look at what is available to us and make the best out of it.

“We cannot allow other countries to turn Nigeria into dumping ground for these drugs. Let us make use of what we have; let us also reach out, even to the herbal practitioners. All we want to be sure of is to establish the efficacy and the safety of the drugs available.”

On Nigeria’s preparation about the outbreak of diseases like Ebola, the minister said relevant agencies were doing the needful in terms of surveillance, monitoring, and proactiveness.

He urged stakeholders in the health sector to work together for the upliftment of the sector.

He said the expo provided the needed opportunity for the industry to engage stakeholders and encourage further development of local manufacturing of drugs.

“There is need for strategic collaboration among stakeholders in achieving this laudable objective,” he said.

“PMG MAN must have a critical role to play in the area of supply chain management of basic healthcare provision fund in the delivery of medicines to the primary healthcare centres.

“It has, therefore, become imperative to adopt the concept of medicine security and national sufficiency. We must start focusing on the homegrown solutions.”

He assured stakeholders of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to revive local manufacturing through a multi-sectoral approach, saying the ministry of health would collaborate with sister ministries.

Moji Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said there is need for stakeholders to demonstrate their readiness for drugs security.

“NAFDAC is ready; we have a strong regulatory system,” she said

“It is time we get ready. If we are not ready, the consequence can be very great. Our goal is to strengthen local manufacturing.”