By Ndidi Chukwu
The Nigeria’s Federal Government said it is ready to make policy and develop business plan for the local production of vaccines in Nigeria, to boost the country’s economy and guarantee availability of vaccines needed for immunization of Nigeria’s children.
Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, stated this when he received members of National Immunization Financing Task Team (NIFT) at the Federal Secretariat Abuja.
The Minister said the commencement of local vaccine production in Nigeria is long overdue but assured that his ministry will lead the way in making sure that vaccines are produced locally for the use of Nigerians and also exporting to other countries to improve the nations’ foreign exchange earnings.
The ministry according to the minister will work with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) to ensure the production of vaccines that will meet the global standard.
“We want to enter into a partnership with other companies who are willing to transfer technology to us, and the ministry will help in putting together both a policy and a business plan,” Onu said.
He also stated that as long as vaccines are concerned, the federalnministry of science and technology is determine to lead the way to ensure that the country have local production of vaccine.
“Nigeria does not have any other option but to embark on a very serious and important venture to produce vaccines locally for our ineeds and also to export as source of earning foreign currency” he added.
Earlier, NIFT Chairman, Dr. Ben Anyene, briefed the minister of them importance of vaccines financing in saving and protecting the lives of Nigerian children and the need to revive production
He said: “Nigeria has the population of around seven million children every year which is more than the population of so many countries, we have the market and this is something we have done before, we have produced and even export vaccines in the past and there is no reason why we can’t go back to that.”
Our correspondent report that in 2017 alone, close to $140 million is required to guarantee availability of vaccines to reach the nations seven million children born annually.
The NIFT Advocacy visit had representatives from Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR/PACFaH) Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) and Women Advocates for Vaccine Access (WAVA).
