Nigeria Has Over 150 Pharmaceutical Companies

•Industry target $10 billion growth

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has said that despite all odds Nigeria over 150 registered manufacturers of pharmaceutical products.

It said that five out this number are certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

According to the association, the country’s pharmaceutical industry which is estimated at about $2 billion, has potential to grow to an ambitious $10 billion in investment.

Speaking to journalists during a pre-conference yesterday, the National Chairman of ACPN, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, MAW, DCPharm, said the pharmaceutical sector is on the path to becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry in the country.

“I can confirm to you that local pharma manufacturers including prominent Nigerian investors are building Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) plants which are in tens of millions dollar range investments in a bid to change the structure of the game as we impose medicines/drug security in Nigeria as well as create a local manufacturing hub in Africa.,” he said.

He said that the pharma industry has continued to grow despite all odds adding, “Our local manufacturers, including prominent Nigerian investors, are building active pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) plants with investments running into tens of millions of dollars”.

“These efforts are changing the structure of the game and helping to impose medicines security in Nigeria,” he said.

Ezeh pointed to the exploits of pharmaceutical companies such as Fidson Healthcare in the manufacture of anti-retrovirals at a time donor agencies were withdrawing funding that guaranteed free supply of these drugs to Nigerians.

He also said that Emzor has commissioned a specialised Cephalosporin plant in its ultra-modern factory a few months ago, while Indian giants, Jawa Pharm also recently inaugurated a factory-site for beta-lactam range of anti-infectives.

“At some point the value of our industry was estimated to be about $2 billion, but with recent investments we would be cruising to an ambitious $10 billion dollar range sector in the next five years especially now that Codix healthcare recently launched a factory for the local manufacture of invitro-diagnostic kits and medical consumables.

“Despite challenges we are certainly unrelenting and will continue to be fruitful to contribute significantly to National Gross Domestic Product (GDP) like we see in India and China where the pharma sector remains very strategic to national growth and development,” he said.

Ezeh said that ACPN will partner the local Pharma Industry to attain increased access of drugs and economic viability of the sector.

He urged government at all levels to support pharma manufacturers through a deliberate special incentive for the pharma industry to facilitate access to equipment, excipients and other materials that are needed by the industry.

“Local manufacture presents opportunities for more jobs, international trade, economic growth and development as well as boosting national security.

“We must make Nigeria benefit maximally from the African Free Trade Continental Area (AFTCA) which is adjudged as one of the largest in the world, said Ezeh.