The NAFDAC director-general Moji Adeyeye has said the country aims to produce 60 percent of medicines used in the country. She wants the country to reduce its over-dependence on imported medicines. 

Mrs. Adeyeye spoke at a virtual conference of health experts in which professional services firm Deloitte was a key partner.

The conference featured discussions on how countries are responding to COVID-19 and how these measures can be sustained in Africa.

Mrs. Adeyeye said the coronavirus pandemic has been an eye opener to the world, and that efforts should be made to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.

“Right now, we manufacture only 30 percent of our products locally and import 70 percent; the goal is to change it to around 60 percent [local] and 40 percent [imported],” she said

Nigeria hopes the proposed strategy would “really contribute” to the reduction of substandard medicines, which had long been a major public health concern for citizens.