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From Uche Usim, Abuja
Federal Government’s efforts to end medical tourism has received a boost as the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has awarded $400,000 in grant funding to the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) of Nigeria for the establishment of an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) plant. The grant represents a significant proportion of the estimated funds required to implement the project.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Africa rely heavily on the importation of APIs and excipients which are essential to formulate finished pharmaceutical products. The Afreximbank grant will enable NIPRD to produce APIs locally in Nigeria. NIPRD’s API plant project is a critical step towards Nigeria’s pharmaceutical independence and self-sufficiency.
In addition, the project includes the development of a contextual training programme for pharmaceutical industry stakeholders, to ensure that key skills are acquired by industry players who represent the vanguard of essential medicines production on the continent.
Afreximbank’s financial support to the NIPRD APIs plant project will not only catalyse the security of supply of medicines across Africa but also promote the industrialisation of the pharmaceutical sector and the consequent creation of jobs and income.
This landmark partnership between NIPRD and Afreximbank opens a new perspective in the development of collaborative projects aimed at providing contextual solutions to issues that emerge on the continent. This collaboration demonstrates a paradigm shift towards a new approach to improving sustainable access to healthcare in Africa, while stimulating socioeconomic development
