Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, has supported calls for a total ban on the importation of medical syringes into the country to encourage local production and grow the nation’s economy.
Alausa expressed support when he led the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Doris Nkiruka Uzo-Anite; Minister of State for Youths, and Sports Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande; Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye; United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Dr Amina Mohammed, and the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Mrs Aisha Rimi, on a visit to the multibillion naira ultra-modern Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited, a syringe factory located within Karameh Industrial City, Arepo, Ogun State.
Alausa reaffirmed the determination of the Federal Government to provide the necessary support to the local manufacturing sector to enhance its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product GDP.
He observed that the restructuring of syringe and needle production in Nigeria aimed at guaranteeing the availability of high-quality products manufactured by Nigerians in the market to generate employment opportunities for Nigerians.
In her remarks, the Director-General of NAFDAC disclosed that the agency had put an end to granting import authorisation to importers, including international partners.
She stated that the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) has also been directed to patronise local manufacturers of syringes to provide employment opportunities to Nigerians through the expansion of operations of the Nigeria manufacturing companies.
Adeyeye advocated a holistic approach to combating the incidence of importation of substandard falsified medical devices into the country.
In his response, the Chairman of Mikano International, the parent company of Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited, Mr Mofid Karameh, said that his company was poised to revolutionise the landscape to restore Nigeria as the premier hub in Africa.
He noted that the company boasts of an internationally accredited factory with a yearly production capacity of 1.8 billion syringes, employing cutting-edge e-beam sterilisation technology.
The Managing Director of Afrimedical, Mr Akin Oyediran, emphasised the company’s plans to manufacture high-quality syringes not only for Nigeria but also for some neighbouring countries.
He added that the company uses 30 per cent less plastic with high-quality medical-grade materials in its production.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its support, noting that the initiative to prohibit syringe imports would diminish the prevalence of substandard products in the Nigerian market and establish a conducive environment for local manufacturers in the pharmaceutical sector to flourish.
