Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a major player in the pharmaceutical industry in Africa, has called for improved support from Nigeria’s government at both federal and state levels for local drug manufacturers in the country.
The company stated that such support was imperative to further boosting the pharmaceutical subsector and the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while also encouraging new entrants into the industry.
The Group Managing Director and Founder of the company, Dr Stella Okoli, made the appeal during a recent media interaction at the company’s new Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) factory in Sagamu, Ogun State.
According to her, there are many factors inhibiting local production of goods, including pharmaceuticals in the country, such as rising costs of energy and foreign exchange, supply chain disruptions, talent drain, and other challenges.
She noted that venturing into drug manufacturing and sustaining the production of quality life-saving medicines, surgical equipment, and medical supplies, as Emzor Pharmaceuticals has been doing for over 40 years, required special efforts and sacrifices, including strong commitment and resilience.
She said, “It’s therefore important that the government encourages existing local drug manufacturers and also more young people to come into the industry.
“Nigeria has a large population of young people, many of whom have been at Emzor and seen what the company has achieved and continues to do, underscoring why more people should be encouraged to come into the industry.”
Okoli, an 81-year-old renowned entrepreneur, further explained that Emzor Pharmaceuticals, with its humble beginnings, has consistently worked towards ensuring ‘medicine security’ in Nigeria. This commitment is evident in its various innovations, such as the production of life-saving pharmaceuticals addressing various health conditions and the establishment of the new API plant in Sagamu.
While expressing great optimism for a brighter future for Nigeria, she said, “Nigeria is a great country. No matter what happens, we remain a nation of leaders, honest people, and problem solvers, and that has been our driving force and expansion spirit at Emzor.”
Also speaking, the company’s Executive Director in charge of General Duties, HR, and Finance, Uzoma Ezeoke, described Emzor’s API production facility as a significant leap forward for Nigeria’s pharmaceutical self-sufficiency. She expressed confidence that it would help reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported drug-related products and bolster healthcare delivery.
She disclosed that the multimillion-dollar API factory was the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasising that as a pioneering legacy project, it would significantly boost local capacity.
While acknowledging challenges such as counterfeiting, high operating costs, inflation exacerbated by the floating of the Naira on the foreign exchange market, and multiple taxes, Ezeoke noted that Emzor absorbs many costs to keep quality medicines affordable for Nigerians.
She stated that the company, with over 2,000 direct workers across four different plants, has more than 160 products spanning 26 therapeutic classes, distributing nationwide and across key African markets, including Sierra Leone and Liberia.
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