COVID-19 Vaccines Produced In Nigeria Will Meet International Standards, Says NAFDAC DG

…As NASS Commends Agency For Judicious Use Of Funds

With the strengthening of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, vaccines produced in Nigeria including those for COVID-19, will be of an internationally acceptable standard, the Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has vowed.

Prof Mojisola Adeyeye made the pledge during the oversight visit to the NAFDAC facilities and COVID-19 laboratory projects in Lagos on Friday  August 26, 2022, by the House of Representatives Committee on COVID-19.

She described the Federal government’s huge spending on the fight against COVID-19 as exemplified by the construction of the new COVID-19 laboratory, equipped with modern instruments and amenities at the Agency as a wake-up call for the country.

She noted with dismay that the health sector had hitherto been neglected before the present administration responded through the COVID-19 Committees of the National Assembly, ‘’particularly the members that are here today’’

To ensure that the health sector is strengthened, the NAFDAC boss, in a statement signed on Sunday by the Agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, pointed out that the regulatory Agency must be strengthened.

‘’If the regulatory agency is not strengthened, the industry will not be strengthened,’’ she said, adding; ‘’we have the African Free trade Agreement already here with us now for the nation’s pharmaceutical industry to take advantage of with quality products.’’

She added: ‘’there will be a lot of competition and if NAFDAC’s laboratory is not strengthened, we will not be able to compete’’.

‘’For Vaccine, we are hoping that the vaccine facilities from the public- private partnership will soon happen’’, warning that ‘’but if the regulatory agency is not strong, we can make vaccine that will destroy our own people’’.

With NAFDAC now very strong with WHO Maturity Level 3 certification, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye enthused that ‘’Nigeria can now make her own vaccines and we can assure the populace that there is quality in whatever is being manufactured because of NAFDAC’s strength’’.

On the impact that COVID-19 fund has made, she said this should resonate well with the whole country that if you put the right people in the right places, then the vison of the government can be realized.

‘’Whatever approvals that are being given by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on funding our activities, you can actually touch such and this is what has happened here today’’, Prof. Adeyeye excitedly told the visiting lawmakers.

She commended the House COVID-19 committee, and the Healthcare Services Committee of the 9th Assembly for committing to ensuring that NAFDAC as a regulatory agency is being known internationally.

Speaking in the same vein, Chairman, House Committee on COVID-19, Hon. (Dr.) Haruna Mshelia commended the DG NAFDAC and her management team for leveraging on latest technology to upgrade the Agency to a standard that is next to none in Africa.

‘’We have seen with our eyes how they have leveraged on latest technology to upgrade the organization to a standard that is next to none in Africa. I think they need to be commended. We have seen the warehouse. We have now seen the laboratory which is under construction. They have gone very far, and the standard of the construction is good’’, he said,

He added: ‘’We have also seen the equipment awaiting to be installed in the laboratories. I have to say kudos to the DG and her team for getting good value for money as far as COVID-19 funds for NAFDAC is concerned. Other Agencies should come to NAFDAC and learn how they have leveraged on ICT to move their organization forward so that everywhere our standard can be uplifted with everyone seeing it.