THE National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa, to improve traditional medicine industry and by extension ensure medicine security in Africa.
The partnership focuses on research and development, human capital development and community engagement, in the context of the Traditional Medicine Value Chain.
The partnership is also expected to produce various socio-economic benefits, including business and investment opportunities, job and income generation opportunities for stakeholders involved in the African Traditional Medicine Pharmaceutical Value Chain, especially traditional health practitioners.
Speaking during the ceremony, Minister of State for Health, Senator Adeleke Mamora, said that the MoU was part of efforts to remove all barriers that hinder the growth of traditional medicine in Africa.
Mamora further maintained that traditional medicine was part and parcel of Nigerians culture and therefore and whatever barriers that there are, government must do everything possible to remove them.
“Barriers in terms of recognition, labeling and not being open. One of the things that we are doing is to remove the veil and make it open and transparent and have documentation and ensure that we removed the fear of taking away the intellectual property rights of the traditional medicine practitioners,” he said.
Speaking at the virtual MoU signing ceremony in South Africa, the Director-General of NIPRD, Dr. Obi Adigwe, said that the agreement would benefit the entire African continent.
He explained that UKZN was chosen among many other earlier suggested institutions for the partnership due to good work it is doing in the area of traditional medicine.
Adigwe insisted that Africans must take responsibility of providing access to safe, affordable life-saving medicines for the people of the region.
“Medicine security concept that we conceptualise a decade ago was a concept that argued that unless we as Africans begin to determine how our medicines are developed, produced and distributed, we will never be in a position to ensure sustainable access to safe, affordable life-saving medicines to our people.
“We need things like job creation, capacity building, knowledge transfer and revenue generation not only for practitioners but also for government,” he said.
On his part, UKZN Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities, Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize described the collaboration as the first of its kind.
“At the heart of this collaboration is our belief that solutions for African healthcare challenges should be based on the willingness and commitment of African people and communities to promote, preserve and protect their local knowledge systems.
“The signing of this MoU happens at a time when global challenges such as COVID-19, have shown us that Western knowledge systems do not have all the solutions to mitigate the problems we encounter in a world characterized by cultural and ecological diversity.”
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“Absolutely, When we came with the Buhari government in 2015 I became the minister. We were committed to a roadmap to establish a National Carrier, to concession the airports, to set up a leasing company, to establish cargo facilities and we have been doing that.”
On why the Buhari government wanted a national carrier, the minister responded: “Nigeria is situated at the centre of Africa, equidistant from all locations in Africa. 30.4 million square kilometres miles, 1.5 billion people, very green land. If Central and Eastern Africa is the belt of the continent, then Nigeria is the buckle. 200 million people and rising middle class, propensity to fly is high. Nigeria is a candidate for National Carrier.”
Sirika who insisted that the coming national carrier will be private sector driven added; “Private. Yes. 5 per cent government and no government stepping right in that company, no government control, no membership of government on board. Totally private and committed.
“Whatever we say we will do as a government since 2015, it has happened. that is why Tim Clark of Emirates, Qatar Airways and all of them are looking to go into Nigeria in multiple frequencies and multiple landing points because Nigeria is the right place for the airline business.
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