Nigeria needs to import 60% of its drugs

Contrary to the National Drug Policy which stipulates that Nigeria should be able to produce at least 70% of its medicine needs, about 60% of essential drugs required to prevent and treat various ailments afflicting the over 140 million people in the country is still being imported, recent research has revealed.

Neimeth Pharmaceuticals chief executive, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, reported by All.Africa.com, disclosed this in Abuja at the launch of three new products developed by the company. The products, namely flucosyd, gyno-tiocosid and flexodene, were produced to combat vaginal infections, rheumatoid disease and painful menstruation.

According to Mr Ohuabunwa, the wisdom behind the National Drug Policy was that local drug production creates jobs for the teeming army of the unemployed, facilitates the transfer of technology to Nigeria professionals, increases people's access to affordable drugs as well as boosts the nation's Gross Domestic Product. He commended the federal government for initiating the policy, stressing that it will encourage more pharmaceutical firms to establish production plants in the country and reduce the nation's dependency on importation with all the security risks, including that of substandard and counterfeit drugs.