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The Federal Ministry of Health has pledged to collaborate with Sagar Nigeria Vitaceuticals to enhance local drug manufacturing in Nigeria. This was disclosed by the Director, Food and Drugs Services, Olubunmi Aribeana during a recent visit to the company’s plant in Sagamu, Ogun State by a team from the ministry.
Speaking after a facility tour of the plant, Aribeana said: “We are here to collaborate with Sagar Vitaceuticals on local manufacturing. We are from the Ministry of Health and, as a government body, we seek to focus on, at least. 70 per cent production of locally manufactured products of what Nigerians need for their healthcare.
“We have seen the new factory, having gone through the various departments. We are highly satisfied with what we have seen. Based on that, we can assure Nigerians of quality medicine coming from the company.”
Tracing the construction of the plant to 2020, the Managing Director of Sagar Vitaceuticals Nigeria Ltd, Aabani Kothatri said: “The plant has a construction area of 120,000 square feet with a manufacturing area of 65,000 square feet.” He explained that the new plant delivery “per day production capacity in tables is 9.5 million; capsule is two million, dry powder/sachets is 200,000, cream/ointment is 172,000 tubes with liquid of 172,000 bottles.”
According to him, the healthcare system in Nigeria will receive a boost with the local manufacture of pharmaceuticals adding: “Sagar Vitaceuticals Nigeria Limited is open to collaboration and partnership with relevant agencies and companies within and outside the country to boost local production of drugs.”
In his remarks, the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Jimoh Salaudeen, hailed Sagar Vitaceuticals Nigeria Limited for its quality services and facilities.
“We commend the company for its efforts so far to ensure local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals in the country.”
Also speaking, the Coordinator, National Cancer Control and Nuclear Medicine Programme, Dr Nwokwu Uchechukwu, urged the company to liaise with foreign counterparts to locally produce cancer drugs in the country.
