Lagos set to establish drug manufacturing agency – Commissioner

By Sola Ogundipe

Towards promoting drug sufficiency, the Lagos State government is set to establish a drug manufacturing agency to promote access to quality drugs and consumables in the State.

he State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this on Wednesday at the opening of the 7th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo (NPME) in Lagos, said the a draft law on the drug management agency is in the works to be sent to the State House of Assembly for ratification when ready.

Speaking at the biennial event, with the theme “Fostering Partnership and Innovation to unlock the Pharma Manufacturing Value Chain In Nigeria, Central and West Africa”, Abayomi said the move will help promote local drug manufacturing, total quality assurance, and random drug testing alongside NAFDAC, and to strengthen collaboration with the private sector.

He said:”The Lagos State government is already writing a draft law on the drug management agency , it will be submitted to the cabinet and passed on to the Lagos Assembly.

“Many states have done it. We are left behind because we have so many industrial platforms in Lagos and Ogun state, and most of these drugs are produced in our vicinity.

“This will enable Lagos not only to promote local manufacturing, but to also promote the idea of total quality assurance, including random testing alongside NAFDAC, and form a collaboration with the private sector.

Abayomi urged local producers to strive for global best practices, saying that medicine security and national safety sufficiency was crucial to Nigeria’s survival.

“Today represents another of those occasions that you are making it clearly understood by all stakeholders and policymakers, that this is what you require to drive that local industry of self-sufficiency in the health sector and the pharmaceutical industry.

“In so doing, we must ensure that we’re not putting our citizens at risk because a substandard drug can result in severe morbidity, sickness or death,” he said.

Resources:
Vanguard News
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/09/lagos-set-to-establish-drug-manufacturing-agency-commissioner/