The Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, has defended the Institute's expenditure of GH¢13 million on training, workshops, and conferences in 2025. According to Dr. Sodzi-Tettey, these activities are critical to the Institute's mandate and are necessary to build the capacity of researchers, manufacturers, and regulators in Ghana's vaccine industry. The expenditure had raised concerns among members of the Public Accounts Committee.
The NVI's financial performance in 2025 showed a significant downturn, with the Institute moving from a profit of GH¢36 million to a loss of GH¢21 million. The Auditor-General's report, which highlighted the financial decline, prompted the Public Accounts Committee to seek explanations from Dr. Sodzi-Tettey. In his appearance before the Committee, Dr. Sodzi-Tettey explained that the Institute's work involves building the technical capacity of stakeholders across the vaccine ecosystem.
Dr. Sodzi-Tettey emphasized that Ghana's vaccine ecosystem lacks the technical capacity needed to support local vaccine manufacturing. He noted that the Institute's activities extend beyond conventional training programs to include efforts to develop expertise across various stages of vaccine research, production, and regulation. The Institute works with researchers at universities, manufacturers, and regulators to build their capacity and provide them with the necessary technical expertise.
The NVI CEO cited vaccine manufacturing as one of the weakest areas of Ghana's vaccine ecosystem, highlighting the need for significant investment in training and capacity building. He noted that vaccine manufacturing is a complex and expensive undertaking that requires specialized expertise and infrastructure. To illustrate the skills gap, Dr. Sodzi-Tettey mentioned that the Institute had to bring in experts from India to conduct certain tests and support animal studies.
Dr. Sodzi-Tettey acknowledged that Ghana has young scientists with potential, but stressed that formal education alone is insufficient to provide the specialized expertise required for vaccine production. He emphasized the need for continuous training and capacity development to meet the country's future vaccine research and manufacturing needs. The NVI CEO noted that the sector requires substantial investment because the technical skills and facilities needed to manufacture vaccines are not readily available locally.
Beyond scientific research and manufacturing, the NVI also engages communities to assess public understanding of, and willingness to accept, locally manufactured vaccines. Dr. Sodzi-Tettey explained that such engagements are necessary to build confidence in domestic vaccine development and understand public attitudes towards locally produced vaccines. These activities, he noted, form part of the broader work required to establish a functional vaccine ecosystem in Ghana.
The NVI's expenditure on training, workshops, and conferences has been justified by Dr. Sodzi-Tettey as necessary to achieve the Institute's mandate. The Institute's efforts to build local vaccine manufacturing capacity are critical to Ghana's healthcare sector, and the CEO's defense of the expenditure highlights the complexities of establishing a sustainable domestic vaccine industry.
Key points
- The NVI spent GH¢13 million on training, workshops, and conferences in 2025 to build the capacity of researchers, manufacturers, and regulators in Ghana's vaccine industry.
- Ghana's vaccine ecosystem lacks the technical capacity needed to support local vaccine manufacturing, according to Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey.
- The NVI CEO emphasized the need for continuous training and capacity development to meet the country's future vaccine research and manufacturing needs.
