Nigeria can truly become the ‘pharmacy of Africa’ if we prioritise investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing. India has shown this can be done and we have all it takes to achieve this. All that’s missing is political will. With political will, Nigeria will not need to depend on foreign countries for drug and vaccines its citizens need and it will be well on its way to achieving health and the economic resilience of the continent.
Nigeria is home to over 200 million people who are susceptible to a set of health problems that are linked and which interact synergistically, contributing to its excess burden of disease: This includes the rising rates of non-communicable diseases, endemic diseases, and emerging and re-emerging infections. If Nigeria is to reduce its disease burden and forge a path towards sustainable economic development, it must invest heavily in science and innovation – strengthening the pharmaceutical manufacturing is a way to achieve this. With…