The director-general, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii has said that national and international stakeholders consider NAFDAC a success story.
Orhii while addressing journalists said “NAFDAC is seen as a success by national and international stakeholders. Today we have achieved WHO’s approval for four pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria.
He added that the approval will provide the opportunity to produce essential drugs in the country.
He said “We have submitted relevant documentation to the WHO for six more approvals. If we can get the new approvals, these companies can export their products to other countries. Nigeria will not only become self-sufficient in the production of essential drugs, we will also become an exporting country.
“When we started the United Nations (UN) Commission for Life Saving Cooperatives for Women and Children about three years ago, no single drug that was identified to be used in communities was manufactured in Nigeria. Today, I can brag that about four of these products are manufactured here in Nigeria.
“We have the Chlorhexidine four percent gel for (umbilical) cord care manufactured here. You know that this drug is important in stemming neonatal deaths because if a baby’s cord is infected, he/she could die. In those days out 50 countries involved in the UN program, only Nepal was producing this drug but today Nigeria is producing and can even export to other countries.”