For millions of Nigerian families, access to vaccines can mean the difference between preventing a serious illness and watching a loved one struggle with a potentially avoidable disease. The country's reliance on imported vaccines is a pressing concern, with the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, warning that Nigeria may continue to depend heavily on imported vaccines unless it succeeds in reviving local vaccine manufacturing. Adeyeye made this disclosure in Lagos, appealing to international development partners to support Nigeria's establishment of vaccine manufacturing facilities.
Adeyeye emphasized that local vaccine production is the missing link in Nigeria's quest to attain the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Maturity Level 4 for vaccine lot release. According to her, NAFDAC has met eight of the nine requirements necessary for full benchmarking in the regulation of medicines and vaccines, with vaccine lot release remaining the outstanding requirement. Adeyeye urged international partners to support the country's efforts to establish fill-and-finish modular vaccine manufacturing, stressing that Nigeria has the technical capacity to achieve the required standard.
The estimated cost of meeting the requirement is manageable, and the agency has already worked out a pathway towards achieving WHO Maturity Level 4. Adeyeye recalled that Nigeria once manufactured vaccines and emphasized that the country must return to local production. She stated that it's high time Nigeria went back to vaccine manufacturing. For Nigerian parents, the push is particularly significant as the country continues to seek stronger health security and reduced dependence on imported medical products.
Adeyeye noted that local pharmaceutical manufacturers have demonstrated that they can respond to the country's health needs when given the right policy environment and incentives. She disclosed that NAFDAC's data showed a 70 per cent reduction in imports of products covered under the "5 plus 5" and Ceiling Initiative between 2021 and 2025, as local manufacturers increased production. This progress is attributed to improved regulatory capacity and the willingness of Nigerian manufacturers to meet international quality standards.
The NAFDAC chief also highlighted the agency's international progress, including the WHO prequalification of its Yaba laboratory in September 2023 and the successful re-benchmarking of the agency at Maturity Level 3. However, achieving the next level would require Nigeria to demonstrate its capacity for vaccine lot release. This is a crucial step towards ensuring that vaccines needed to protect Nigerian children and families are manufactured at home.
Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), Mr Oluwatosin Jolayemi, called for the extension of the Presidential Executive Order on pharmaceutical manufacturing for another two years after its expiration in March 2027. Jolayemi emphasized that medicine security and pharmaceutical sovereignty cannot be achieved through short-term interventions but require consistent policies, investment, capacity development, and a predictable business environment.
The 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers' Expo in Lagos brought together manufacturers, regulators, investors, development partners, and other stakeholders, with a total of 132 companies from Nigeria and other countries participating in the two-day event. The event provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss the way forward for Nigeria's pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on local vaccine manufacturing and the country's quest for stronger health security.
Key points
- Nigeria may continue to rely on imported vaccines without local manufacturing.
- NAFDAC has met eight of the nine requirements necessary for full benchmarking in the regulation of medicines and vaccines.
- Local vaccine production is crucial for Nigeria's quest to attain the World Health Organisation's Maturity Level 4 for vaccine lot release.
