Nigeria set to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Moji Adeyeye, has expressed the optimism that Nigeria will soon join the league of nations producing COVID-19 vaccines, a development that could end the country’s dependence on foreign countries for vaccine support.

She also disclosed that a recent United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and NAFDAC survey in 11 Nigerian states revealed nine to 10 percent falsification of antimalarials in the country.

Professor Adeyeye, who made this disclosure during a media briefing on her fourth anniversary in office, in Lagos, said Nigeria is working to ensure that by the end of the year, vaccine manufacturing starts locally in the country.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

• ‘Officials initially offered to help but when the number of able-bodied citizens at the centre increased, they left us unattended to’
• Why Ogun Tops List Of ‘Yahoo Boys’ In Nigeria ― Governor Abiodun
• Police, Amotekun after criminals on Lagos-Ibadan expressway
• Suspected cannibal pays N500,000 for boy’s human organs, says ‘that’s my favourite meal, especially the throat’
• Court awards Nnamdi Kanu N1 billion over invasion of his home by military, asks FG to apologise

She said: “The minister is going through different pathways to ensure that this happens, but the government also has a PPP arrangement with May and Baker to form Biovaccines. The government has 49 per cent and May and Baker have 51 per cent. The goal is to be able to manufacture vaccines; it is not just COVID-19 vaccines.

“Local manufacture of vaccines now made possible because NAFDAC got ML3. Without that, we will not be able to manufacture our vaccines. Very likely, we will start with the modular vaccine laboratory. We have the human capacity for vaccine production, even in MRN technology. So, what the government is trying to do is to maximise the vaccine ecosystem to start our own vaccine manufacturing.”

Professor Adeyeye lamented that NAFDAC numbers had been compromised by dubious characters, adding that “we don’t know who is falsifying our numbers. That is why the public should buy their products from where they have confidence; if it is too cheap be careful.”

vSpeaking on the achievements of NAFDAC on the production of herbal medicines she said NAFDAC listed 42 herbal medicinal products during the COVID-19 pandemic because regulation guidelines were made simpler.

She, however, said the process of clinical trials is where most of the approved herbal products are stalled and many adverts on herbals on air are not authorised, warning that the fact that something is herbal does not mean that it cannot kill.

Adeyeye said if herbal medicines must be acceptable in the international arena, they must go through clinical trials, in addition to embarking on research to sanitise them and advance their uses.

According to her, the goal of NAFDAC bringing herbalists and researchers to collaborate more on herbal medicines is to get five to 10 herbal medicines that will measure up to international standard quality included in the national drug lists for use in hospitals, after clinical trials.