Katsina plans own pharmaceutical manufacturing firm

Katsina Governor, Dr Dikko Radda, has said his administration plans to construct a state-owned pharmaceutical manufacturing company, the first of its kind in Northern Nigeria. 

He said the state government approved substantial financial investments to support the Drugs and Medical Supply Agency, adding: “The investments include N96 million to enhance the drug revolving fund scheme and an additional N100 million to extend the agency’s operational efficiency.”
 
Radda commended donors of the Pharma-grade Warehouse project, particularly the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the National Product Supply Management Chain Programme, for selecting Katsina as a beneficiary. 
  
Speaking on the features of the warehouse, the Executive Secretary of the State Drugs and Medical Supply Agency, Dr Fatima Shuaibu, explained that it contained cold rooms for thermolabile drug storage, a quality assurance laboratory, and a new drug information centre with a hotline for reporting fake and substandard drugs. 
  
Shuaibu said the warehouse project, together with other programmes, was the result of the approval of counterpart funding by the governor.  She, however, requested the governor’s support in providing a bigger generating set or installing a mini-grid solar-powered solution to adequately power the facility.
  
Chief of the UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Rahma Farah, said the project marks a milestone and a major leap in strengthening the health system in the state.
Represented by UNICEF Health Specialist, Saudat Basheer, Farah stated: “UNICEF, in collaboration with Global Fund and the Federal Government of Nigeria, led the upgrade of 22 medical warehouses across 21 states to ultra-modern Pharma-grade standard and traceability initiative device procurement to boost the healthcare delivery system in Nigeria, including Katsina State.”