The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has charged Teaching Hospitals, Medical Centres and all health facilities in the country to purchase drugs locally manufactured in the country which have been certified by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
His charged, he said, is premised on the Executive Order 003 which promotes locally manufactured goods and services and the National Drug Policy for patronage in Nigeria.
The Minister gave the charge when members of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) paid him a courtesy visit led by the Association’s Vice Chairman, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, in his office, in Abuja.
He charged the pharmaceutical industry to be creative and innovative driven.
The visit was to ensure that Nigerians continue to have access to timely and affordable locally manufactured medicines.
The Minister reiterated that pharmaceutical industry needed to be strengthened to measure up in the global competitive environment, noting that drugs produced locally must attain high quality and must be affordable for ordinary Nigerians.
He charged the association to gear towards improving its capacity and competence in order to strengthen the industry and in the process, create job opportunities.
He, however, assured the PMG-MAN that challenges faced in the industry will be considered and tacked by the federal government.
Speaking, the Vice Chairman, PMG-MAN, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, said that his organisation is the umbrella covering 120 local drug manufacturers in Nigeria and that the objective of the industry is to ensure that all Nigerians have access to quality and affordable drugs timely.
Mr. Okafor said that the pharmaceutical industry has played a vital role in terms of job creation in Nigeria.
A statement by the Head Media and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Health, Enefaa Bob-Manuel, quoted Mr Okafor as saying that the PMG-MAN has upgraded the capacity of its members in all aspects including technological acquisition and facility upgrading of equipment to meet the NAFDAC specifications and also to compete with international counterparts in the industry.
