By Iyemah David
North Central Development Commission (NCDC) has partnered with Innovative Biotech Limited to strengthen vaccine access, local manufacturing, and public health resilience across Nigeria’s North Central region through collaborative and strategic initiatives.
A meeting held on Monday in Abuja focused on coordinated strategies to tackle persistent health challenges, expand vaccine access, and promote innovation in disease prevention across underserved communities in the region.
Vaccines such as the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) and Cholera vaccines were identified as top priorities for rapid deployment to high-risk populations.
The Managing Director of the NCDC, Dr Cyril Tsenyil, described the partnership as a crucial step toward achieving vaccine self-sufficiency and health equity in Nigeria’s North Central geopolitical zone and beyond.
He stated that the collaboration supported Innovative Biotech’s establishment of Nigeria’s first end-to-end vaccine manufacturing facility, covering research, development, and large-scale production to reduce dependence on imported vaccines.
Dr Simon Agwale, Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Biotech, applauded the NCDC’s leadership, stressing the importance of local vaccine production for improving healthcare delivery and boosting regional industrial capacity.
Dr Agwale added that the partnership aligned with Nigeria’s national policy promoting domestic production of essential health commodities and reflected the commission’s dedication to inclusive development and sustainable healthcare solutions.
During the meeting, both parties agreed to establish a technical working group focused on implementation, covering logistics, vaccine awareness campaigns, and training initiatives to enhance human resource capacity.
