MATTHEW AZOJI is the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc. He speaks with ANOZIE EGOLE, on some of the challenges within the sector and the way in which ahead
How would you say the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry has fared up to now?
I’ll say that the sector is doing effectively and rising. We have over 120 corporations within the Nigerian pharma industry. I’m speaking in regards to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. We have shut to 120 members who’re doing effectively, however there are such a lot of challenges.
What would you say are the challenges?
There are many challenges the industry is battling with. One of the main challenges is access to international trade. I spoke about it final week in Abuja after an award of the National Productivity Merit Award. As you’re conscious, over 90 % of inputs of pharmaceutical producers in Nigeria are imported. And immediately, we have now a significant challenge, which is access to international trade. It is an enormous challenge to most producers. It began throughout COVID-19 when the income of the Nigerian authorities went down as a result of of low demand for oil. And then, as a result of of the low demand, the revenues had been low after which international trade grew to become a significant challenge. I count on that the income ought to enhance though the Nigerian authorities nonetheless faces the challenge of output as a result of of challenges within the manufacturing of crude. But what we all know as producers is that getting forex to import uncooked supplies is fairly difficult now.
That was why I made a name final week that authorities ought to arrange a robust particular association to assist the industry to have access to sufficient international trade to import important items to improve manufacturing. For us to preserve our factories working, we’d like this type of association. You know that we make use of rather a lot of folks in Nigeria and if we have now difficulties in getting trade, it is going to have an effect on our industry. Of course, the opposite points are infrastructure and the latest enhance in diesel. You know that electrical energy provide from the DisCos is not satisfactory to run a manufacturing unit on a regular basis and for factories to run, there should be regular energy. The value of diesel has, within the final two months, elevated from about N300 per litre to between N650-N700 per litre. So, it has a significant influence on value of manufacturing.
Would you say you’re getting the wanted assist from the Federal Government concerning these challenges?
The Federal Government has been giving assist in a quantity of areas to the industry. You are conscious that final 12 months, via the assist of the Federal Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria rolled out N100billion intervention fund, which many of our members within the industry had access to it. It was a low-cost mortgage meant to improve amenities and even set up new amenities. That was unprecedented and it was an enormous assist that we had been pleased about. And then, just lately, the 2021 National Drug Policy was accredited. That coverage is aimed to be certain that 70 per cent of important medicines in Nigeria are domestically produced. Government is planning to make fiscal and different insurance policies to be certain that it comes to move. However, within the space of this international trade that I talked about, we’re but to see a lot assist.
Locally manufactured medicines by members of PMG-MAN are good high quality medicines and to be certain that these medicines get to the folks on time, we’d like to have access to international trade to get the required inputs. So, we’re but to see and we imagine that the federal government will reply to the decision.
On the problem of diesel, authorities is subsidising the Premium Motor Spirit, which is already an enormous burden. Recently, I additionally learnt that airline operators are searching for subsidies so as to preserve their aircrafts working. However, I don’t know if it is going to even be potential for the federal government to subsidise diesel.
If there is something the federal government can do to make the value of diesel return to what it was, they need to do.
You stated one thing about authorities developing with plans for native manufacturing of medicines. Would you say that the pharmaceutical sector is prepared for that?
Yes, the pharmaceutical corporations, that is, members of PMG-MAN, domestically manufacture at the very least 70-80 per cent of the merchandise we promote. Most of the merchandise you see right here had been manufactured at Neimeth manufacturing unit; they weren’t imported. So, we’re pleased that the federal government is giving consideration. The intention of the National Drug Law Policy of 2021 is to be certain that 70 per cent of the medicine utilized in Nigeria are domestically produced. The authorities has made these insurance policies up to now however they didn’t obtain something. This time, working with companies of authorities just like the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control and the remaining of them, the federal government is placing some insurance policies in place to be certain that this occurs. For occasion, for those who register a product to be imported, you’ll give a dedication of how you’ll manufacture it domestically, subsequent time you need to import.
And there are additionally some merchandise that authorities companies like NAFDAC have recognized that we have now sufficient capability in Nigeria to produce. Through fiscal insurance policies, there are restrictions on their importations.
Would you say that native pharmaceutical corporations are investing in manufacturing of vaccines?
Well, some are on the starting stage, however there is no main one which has occurred. There are, nonetheless, a quantity of causes for this. You are conscious that Nigeria was producing vaccines between 1940 and 1991 at Yaba Vaccine Production Laboratory. The nation was producing vaccine for yellow fever, rabies and one different illness. However, in 1991, the ability was closed for an improve and modernisation, however on the finish of the day, it was shut down for no matter purpose.
Since 2005, there was a public-private partnership association by the federal government attempting to revive it, and that is nonetheless ongoing. Also in 2021, the federal government launched and accredited the primary National Vaccine Policy and half of that coverage was meant to deal with how to obtain native vaccine manufacturing.
Both via the PPP, for which the Federal Government and different personal corporations are concerned, there are heaps of underground works occurring in direction of reaching native vaccine manufacturing.
NAFDAC just lately stated that they wouldn’t like Nigeria to be became a dumping floor for pharmaceutical merchandise. What do you make of that?
Nobody desires their nation to be a dumping floor for merchandise from different international locations. You know that Nigeria has signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and when that occurs, different African international locations, via that, could have free access to provide to Nigeria. And what meaning is that we should always create an enabling atmosphere for our producers to produce high quality medicines that may compete in phrases of value.
So, as a substitute of bringing in issues for us, we needs to be those supplying to the remaining of Africa. It will curiosity you to know that greater than 60 per cent of manufacturing amenities for medicine in Africa are in Nigeria. Nigeria has the most important quantity of medicines manufacturing amenities in Africa, so we needs to be supplying to different African international locations. It will curiosity you to know that just lately, NAFDAC obtained approval for Maturity Level Three as a regulatory company from World Health Organisation. The WHO accredited NAFDAC to transfer to the Maturity Level Three as a regulator. That provides NAFDAC the capability to approve vaccines, regulate them and to regulate different merchandise. And that additionally provides extra authenticity to any product registered by NAFDAC to provide to different international locations.
In your complete Africa, they’re solely three nationwide drug regulatory companies which have that sort of approval within the 56 international locations of Africa, and two of them are in West Africa. So, the choice for NAFDAC to cease Nigeria from being a dumping floor for pharmaceutical merchandise is potential, but it surely requires all events, dedication and willingness to make it occur. One, NAFDAC will be certain that no matter product that is coming is duly registered and authenticated. Then, our personal native manufactures will work onerous to be certain that all of the requirements which might be required globally are being met.
In a aggressive world, you could have to have the opportunity to compete, produce medicines which might be of good high quality and likewise inexpensive. In that sense, we’re ready to provide to our personal native customers of medicines in an economical method and likewise compete in different components of Africa and past.
How do you are feeling that Nigeria, the enormous of Africa, can’t manufacture COVID-19 vaccine?
Before you may manufacture COVID-19 vaccine, you could have to, first of all, have the capability to manufacture vaccines. As we converse, Nigeria is not manufacturing any vaccine in any respect. The international locations which might be manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines are international locations that had been manufacturing vaccines earlier than COVID-19 got here. All they did was to create additional amenities to assist the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccine. In a pandemic scenario it is a safety challenge. The authorities has famous it and I imagine that it is doing one thing about that.
Do you suppose Nigeria can finish the menace of substandard medicines?
The challenge of prevalence of substandard and outright pretend merchandise is not solely seen in a rustic like Nigeria; it happens in all jurisdictions all around the world. Even within the developed world, it is additionally a challenge, although the extent may range. Some could also be very low whereas some could also be very excessive. What you do is to curb it and produce it to the barest minimal. NAFDAC has achieved rather a lot on this, proper from the time of late Dora Akunyili because the director-general. Like I advised you, NAFDAC just lately obtained the WHO’s stage three and the company obtained this final 12 months. That signifies that merchandise accredited by NAFDAC will obtain greater recognition anyplace exterior Nigeria. It additionally signifies that prior to now, NAFDAC couldn’t approve vaccines however NAFDAC has the capability to regulate vaccines immediately. That is what meaning. NAFDAC has been working onerous to minimise prevalence of pretend and substandard medicines. We, the native producers of prescribed drugs, as people corporations, have particular actions that we’re taking which might not be overtly seen to the peculiar individual. So, the extra you purchase native merchandise by recognised producers, the extra high quality medicines you could have. Each one of us takes steps in supporting NAFDAC and half of what we do is to be certain that we adjust to all of the regulatory necessities related to manufacturing, advertising and marketing, gross sales and distribution of medicines. We adjust to each step that is wanted. There are particular laws to be certain that the affected person will get one of the best. Some of them are prescribed by NAFDAC, some by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, and a few by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
The different facet is that the typical Nigerian has to assist these efforts by stopping to patronise pretend medicines. How do they know pretend medicines? They are the most affordable available in the market, and the fakers at all times thrive on value. For occasion, if in case you have a product promoting for N500, you might also see the identical product promoting for N250. It could be a pass-off on the unique and the bulk of them are imported. Another factor we’d like to do is to educate the Nigerian medication consumer. One of the issues we should know is that generally when persons are not getting effectively after taking drugs, will probably be essential to additionally probe the medicines they’re utilizing. The neighborhood is aware of the fakers, so they need to isolate them socially.
Are you saying that unique medicines can’t be low-cost?
The unique medicines are inexpensive and cost-effective. I don’t use the phrase ‘low-cost’. You know value is an index and it is comparative. Before you say that one thing is low-cost, you have to examine it to one thing else. We strive to manufacture medicines which might be inexpensive and accessible to folks, however we should not compromise high quality.
How has COVID-19 affected the pharmaceutical industry?
COVID-19 was an enormous challenge in 2019, and 2020 was the peak of it. In March 2020, the lockdown began and it affected the sector within the sense that we couldn’t permit all our workers to work the way in which they used to, due to social distancing. So, it affected manufacturing output, access to our clients, and our representatives. We weren’t ready to see them as a result of they had been all of their places throughout the lockdown. Also, throughout that interval, there was a significant challenge with the provision chain. The international provide chain was disrupted, so we couldn’t access uncooked supplies in a well timed method. We couldn’t access them in any respect generally. Also, immediately, there is shortage of containers and issues like that. It is additionally the COVID-19 that began the present spate of poor access to international trade. It began in 2020 and it has continued until now.
Then, the profit that we obtained as an industry was the truth that it was COVID-19 that drove the federal government to present the CBN N100 billion intervention fund, for which many of our members benefited. Then, of course, it additionally introduced in regards to the challenge of collaboration to make the industry higher and create extra worth for our sufferers. The purpose why we’re within the enterprise is to make it possible for the typical Nigerian affected person has access to high quality medicines at inexpensive costs.
Some medicines are on prohibition checklist. How does this have an effect on your operations?
Nigeria is blessed with vibrant youths. But now, some of these youths are being destroyed as a result of they’re abusing substances. Tramadol is a standard medication that is supposed to be used to deal with extreme pains, but it surely needs to be taken beneath docs’ prescription. The physician prescribes the amount and the size of time that the individual is supposed to take it. But what will we see? Rather a lot of folks take giant amount of this product for one purpose or one other. So, authorities is proper in proscribing the free sale of these medicaments. I assist that as a result of if it is restricted within the method during which different narcotic medicines are restricted, will probably be higher.
So, I’m in full assist of the restriction as a result of drug abuse is additionally one of the issues rising crimes and destroying the long run of younger folks.
What could be achieved to enhance industrial relations between pharmacists and different well being employees within the nation?
If my notion is proper, the connection has drastically improved. I do know when there used to be rather a lot of friction between pharmacists and medical practitioners within the healthcare industry. But issues have improved and our colleagues are now not complaining as earlier than.
That is not to say that pharmacists have acquired equal or deserved therapy at most well being establishments. We look ahead to the regime of pharmacists as leaders of hospitals and well being amenities.
I feel the related our bodies such because the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) are collaborating to guarantee industrial rapport within the well being sector, the place no career is seen as superior to one other.
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