Presidency commends NIPRD for critical engagement on healthcare value chain

The Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) has commended the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) for convening a critical engagement on the healthcare sector, describing the efforts as “timely and transformative.”

The PVAC National Coordinator, Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, represented by Balarabe Mohammed, while speaking at the High-Level Stakeholders Engagement on Harmonizing the Pharmaceutical Sector, expressed gratitude to NIPRD under the leadership of Dr. Obi Adegwe for its impactful work through the IMPACT project.

The engagement meeting was themed “A Review Meeting to Collate Insights from Previous Activities and Consolidated Strategies to Align with Impact Overarching Objective.”

While speaking further, Mohammed noted that achieving these goals requires robust collaboration, and PVAC is working closely with NIPRD and other partners to consolidate collective insights, address gaps, and chart a unified path forward.

“Today’s engagement presents an important opportunity to consolidate our collective insights, address gaps and chart a unified path forward,” he said.

“Your efforts to harmonize the sector activities and align with the national objectives are both timely and transformative. PVAC remains committed to catalyzing local pharmaceutical production, streamlining regulations, and attracting sustainable investments in the healthcare sector.”

The PVAC representative called for leveraging the platform to strengthen partnerships, optimize resources, and ensure that every intervention aligns with the overarching vision of affordable, high-quality healthcare for all Nigerians.

“Let us leverage this platform to strengthen partnerships, optimize resources and ensure that every intervention aligns with the overarching vision of affordable, high-quality healthcare for all Nigerians,” he said.

Mohammed expressed optimism about the engagement’s outcome, saying, “We look forward to a very productive outcome from this engagement.”

Also speaking, the Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr. Obi Peter Adigwe, noted that equitable access to quality medicines is the bedrock of Universal Health Coverage.

He said, “Equitable access to quality medicines is the bedrock of Universal Health Coverage… this is not simply a health challenge; it is an issue of equity, national security, and economic survival.”

While speaking on NIPRD activities, he disclosed that the organisation has actively worked across sectors.

“NIPRD has worked across sectors to develop empirical frameworks, provide technical assistance, and implement interventions targeted at reforming regulatory architecture and enhancing local manufacturing capabilities,” he stated.

“Harmonization is not merely about filling gaps or avoiding duplication. It is about creating synergy, where policies, investments, and technical frameworks are deliberately aligned to deliver measurable outcomes for our people.”

“No single agency or entity can deliver sector-wide change in isolation. It is only through genuine collaboration that we will achieve sustainable outcomes,” he stated.

The Director General of the West Africa Institute of Public Health, Francis Ohiodu, stressed the need to identify and fill gaps.

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“One of the potentials that harmonization can unlock for us is identifying clear areas and gaps to fill within the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“It’s a vast market waiting to be tapped by our pharmaceutical sector, and if we get it right as Nigeria, I assure you we will take over that system across the continent because we have the numbers and the capacity to do it. But harmonization will be the key word for all of us.”

The Programme Manager, Health and Nutrition, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr. Anthony Anyeke, underscored the importance of collaboration among key stakeholders.

“This collaborative effort, which we have started with PVAC, NIPRD, and will engage with other sectors, has and will lay a solid foundation, and so today’s review meeting will give us a valuable opportunity to collate insights, evaluate outcomes, and align strategies.”

He further stressed the importance of boosting local production.

“By harmonising our activities, we can accelerate local production, reduce dependency on imports, and enhance the resilience of Nigeria’s healthcare system.”

Anyeke suggested three key interventions.

“Some suggestions that we may want to consider as we look at this review stakeholder meeting could include enhancing regulatory frameworks, capacity building to strengthen technical expertise, and then three, we have fostering innovation through supporting research and development initiatives.”

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