According to the Chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Okey Akpa, Nigerians may experience scarcity of medicines in the country. He said the shortage of foreign exchange has prevented drug manufacturers from importing raw materials and chemicals need to produce most essential medicines the country.
“Presently, there is a drought of raw materials to produce because we can’t access forex from the banks to import raw materials which can’t be sourced locally.
“We have been using our previous stock since this development but we will soon run out. What this means is that essential medicines will be scarce and when they are available they will be unaffordable.
“We know why the dollar is scare but government should identify genuine manufacturers and give them forex. After food security, what is most important is the availability of drugs.”
President of the PSN Yakasai , has called on the Federal Government to revisit the N200bn intervention fund it had promised the pharmaceutical sector to encourage local manufacturers, adding that the financial support would ensure that 70 per cent of drugs sold in Nigeria were manufactured by indigenous companies.
