Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Obi Adigwe, says Nigeria must prioritise medicine security in light of lessons learnt from global disruptions.

Mr Adigwe made this statement on Tuesday at a two-day capacity-building workshop for 50 early-career researchers, aimed at enhancing local drug development and ensuring nationwide access to safe and quality medicines.

Represented by Mboma Iheanyi, a director at the institute, Mr Adigwe explained that the workshop was designed to strengthen national capacity and reduce dependence on imported medicines.

The training is organised under the World Bank-supported Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).

It seeks to strengthen research capacity, enhance regulatory compliance, and improve collaboration between academia and industry.

According to Mr Adigwe, though the initiative places emphasis on malaria, it goes beyond that focus.

He noted that border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed Nigeria’s vulnerability and highlighted the urgent need to build domestic pharmaceutical capacity.

He added that the workshop also aimed to curb counterfeit medicines through increased awareness.

“We must think inwards and find solutions within our healthcare system,” he said.

“Exposure and knowledge are key factors. When people understand the implications, it becomes difficult to engage in fake drugs,” Mr Adigwe added, stressing broader responsibilities in medicine security.

According to him, medicine security goes beyond crises and involves ensuring safe, reliable medicines for Nigerians.

“Every nation shuts its borders during the pandemic, so we must strengthen local capacity,” he said.

Mr Adigwe said NIPRD had previously trained traditional medicine practitioners across 20 states on compliance and safety standards, reaffirming that national capacity was essential for securing medicine availability during emergencies.

On her part, NIPRD IMPACT Lead Mary Aboh said the programme sought to help Nigerian medicines meet World Health Organisation pre-qualification standards to improve global competitiveness.

Ms Aboh noted that drug quality covered production, transportation and storage, adding that shortages during the pandemic highlighted vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s medicine supply chain.

“A high-quality drug may lose potency during storage, especially with power outages. Medicine security speaks to safety, availability and affordability,” she said.

She added that local production and proper distribution would guarantee reliable access for patients and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains.

Ms Aboh said young scientists were prioritised for the training drivers of innovation and must be equipped to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical future.

One of the participants, Rosemary Uzuh, said the workshop would help translate research into practical healthcare solutions.

“It builds the mindset needed to make research beneficial to society,” she said.

Another participant, Folasade Alabi, said the training boosted her interest in drug discovery and urged increased efforts despite ongoing improvements by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)

(NAN)