The Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, on March 24 called for a complete ban on the importation of medical syringes into Nigeria to support local manufacturers, Premium Times reports.
The Minister, together with other officials, visited the syringe factory of Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited located in Ogun State. He assured that the country’s government intends to support local production.
Other officials who visited the factory included the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Ayodele Olawande, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC ), Mojisola Adeyeye, the UN Deputy Secretary-General. Amina Mohammed and the Executive Director of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Aisha Rimi.
Developing the production of syringes and needles in Nigeria itself is important because it will help ensure that the population has access to high-quality products and create additional jobs, Alausa said.
He called on NAFDAC to ensure that rampant importation of syringes does not hamper the development of local industry through unhealthy competition.
“Do not give them more import permits. “We need to protect local industry through a backward integration model aimed at strengthening local capacity.”– he said.
In her remarks, NAFDAC boss Adeyeye reiterated the need for a comprehensive approach by all relevant government agencies to address the issue of substandard counterfeit medical products entering the country through the ports.
According to her, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has also been tasked with sponsoring local syringe manufacturers to provide employment opportunities to Nigerians through the expansion of manufacturing companies.
However, NPHCDA received the last import order in December 2023 with instructions that thereafter they should start sourcing products from local manufacturers. And the National Food and Drug Administration Agency has suspended the import of syringes to promote similar locally produced products.
Some medical products continue to enter the country through port corruption, even though the government has already imposed high tariffs on syringes to discourage imports.
At the same time, officials acknowledged that locally produced syringes may be a little more expensive, but as soon as sufficient production volumes can be established, the price will drop, they promised.
Additionally, the NAFDAC chief called on the government to reduce import duties on critical raw materials and equipment used for local production and said they should be subject to zero duties during a time-limited moratorium.
In his remarks, Mofied Karame, Chairman of Mikano International, the parent company of Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited, said his company is committed to working towards making Nigeria a leading industrial hub in Africa.
He said the company has an internationally accredited factory with an annual production capacity of 1.8 billion syringes using advanced sterilization technologies.
The Managing Director of Afrimedical, Akin Oyediran, highlighted the company’s plans to produce high quality syringes not only for Nigeria but also for some neighboring countries. He added that the company uses 30% less plastic in its production thanks to the use of high-quality raw materials.
He further expressed gratitude to the government for its support, noting that the move to ban the importation of syringes will reduce the proliferation of substandard products in the Nigerian market and create an enabling environment for local manufacturers to thrive in the pharmaceutical sector.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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