Key points
- The Federal Government says at least 11 pharmaceutical manufacturing projects are on course for commissioning.
- The projects are aimed at boosting local medicines production and expanding access to regional markets.
- Officials say Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry is attracting more investment and contributing more to the economy.
- Stakeholders are calling for stronger collaboration, regulation and innovation to build a competitive medicines manufacturing sector.
Main story
The Federal Government says Nigeria is on course to commission at least 11 pharmaceutical manufacturing projects as part of efforts to strengthen local medicines production and expand access to regional markets.
Dr Abdul Muktar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting to finalise IMPACT Project activities.
The meeting, themed “Strengthening Local Medicines Manufacturing Capacity: From Concept to Action,” brought together government officials, development partners, regulators and industry stakeholders to review progress and future priorities.
Muktar said the projects were already underway, reflecting growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector and the country’s increasing attractiveness as a manufacturing destination.
He said the industry was becoming a stronger contributor to the economy, noting that four pharmaceutical companies ranked among the top 10 performing firms on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2025.
“Every year traditionally you only see oil and gas companies and banks, but now pharmaceutical companies are already getting there,” he said.
Muktar urged local manufacturers to look beyond Nigeria’s estimated population of 230 million and target the wider West African market of about 460 million people.
He said Nigeria’s recent accession to the African Medicines Agency (AMA) would support regional trade by reducing the need for multiple regulatory approvals across African countries.
According to him, new investments include diagnostic test kit production facilities in Ogun and Nasarawa states, as well as a technology transfer agreement with Bayer for family planning products in Anambra State.
He stressed the importance of collaboration among government agencies, development partners, industry players and research institutions to sustain the sector’s growth.
Earlier, the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr Obi Adigwe, represented by Prof. Phillip Builders, said the IMPACT Project had progressed from policy discussions to practical interventions.
He described pharmaceutical manufacturing as a national development priority that would strengthen health security, industrial growth and economic resilience.
Adigwe said the project had trained more than 100 young scientists, researchers and pharmaceutical professionals to support Nigeria’s medicines manufacturing ecosystem.
Also speaking, the World Bank Team Lead on the IMPACT Project, Dr Onoriode Ezire, said the bank would continue supporting Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing agenda through a new Health Investment Project.
He said previous World Bank interventions included a two-million-dollar programme that helped local manufacturers attain World Health Organization prequalification and a subsequent five-million-dollar intervention that addressed broader manufacturing constraints.
The European Union Delegation to Nigeria said it was supporting the sector through its Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Products (MAV+) initiative, while the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening pharmaceutical quality standards and export competitiveness.
The issues
Nigeria is seeking to reduce dependence on imported medicines by expanding domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthening regulatory systems and positioning local producers to compete in regional markets.
What’s being said
“One person, one organisation cannot do it alone.” — Dr Abdul Muktar, National Coordinator, Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC)
What’s next
The government and its partners are expected to commission the new manufacturing projects while expanding investments, strengthening regulation and improving regional market access for locally produced medicines.
Bottom line
Nigeria is accelerating investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing to improve medicine security, create jobs and position the country as a regional production hub for healthcare products.
