Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is calling on local pharmaceutical firms to step up and invest in vaccine manufacturing ahead of the next health crisis. Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye says Nigeria must not rely on international donors like during COVID-19 again and needs to build its own vaccine production capacity urgently.
NAFDAC has modernized its regulatory systems and attained WHO Maturity Level 3 status for medicines and imported vaccines. The agency has set up a specialized directorate for vaccine regulation and operates the only in-house vaccine laboratory in sub-Saharan Africa.
Adeyeye is optimistic Nigeria can soon start vaccine production in phases, beginning with “fill and finish” processes, moving towards full-scale manufacturing. She emphasized that local production is the final step needed for WHO full recognition, and called on manufacturers to act now with the government’s support to achieve pharmaceutical independence.
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