Nigeria’s dependence on imported ingredients to produce medicines could threaten the country’s medicine security, particularly during global supply disruptions.

This was a major concern raised by stakeholders at a meeting on “Accelerating the shift to domestic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) production for priority essential medicines in Nigeria,” organised by Nigeria Health Watch in partnership with the World Bank Group in Abuja on Friday.

Speaking at the meeting, Olumide Okunola of the World Bank Group said Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers rely heavily on imported APIs, leaving the country vulnerable to disruptions in international supply chains.

APIs are the substances in medicines that produce their intended therapeutic effects. Although Nigeria has pharmaceutical companies that manufacture finished medicines, many depend on imported APIs and other raw materials to produce them.

Mr Okunola said the dependence exposes local manufacturers to international supply-chain disruptions, trade restrictions and price volatility, potentially affecting the availability and affordability of essential medicines.

He cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of how disruptions to global supply chains can expose countries that depend heavily on imported medicines and pharmaceutical inputs.

He said Nigeria did not need to produce every pharmaceutical ingredient locally, but should identify essential APIs that could feasibly be manufactured in the country to guarantee a minimum level of domestic supply.

Mr Okunola also identified inadequate infrastructure, unreliable electricity, limited access to finance and regulatory bottlenecks as constraints to local pharmaceutical production.

He said Nigeria could build on its existing industrial and petrochemical capacity to develop domestic production of selected pharmaceutical ingredients.

He urged policymakers to align health and industrial policies, prioritise APIs used in essential medicines and create an environment that encourages private investment in local manufacturing.

Medicine, health security

Also speaking, Chris Isokpunwu, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, said Nigeria’s dependence on external sources for critical pharmaceutical inputs undermines its ability to guarantee sustainable health security.

“Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable health security while remaining heavily dependent on external sources for critical pharmaceutical inputs,” he said.

Mr Isokpunwu said domestic production of pharmaceutical ingredients should be treated not only as a health-sector priority but also as an economic and industrial development opportunity.

He said local production could strengthen the resilience of medicine supply chains, reduce exposure to international disruptions and foreign exchange pressures, create skilled jobs and retain more economic value within the country.

However, he cautioned against pursuing local production without considering quality, efficiency and affordability.

“We must, however, be careful not to pursue local production at any cost,” he said.

“Our objective must be to produce efficiently, meet internationally recognised quality standards, compete on price and reliability, and progressively integrate into regional and global pharmaceutical value chains.”

He called for a practical roadmap identifying priority APIs, investment requirements, infrastructure needs, incentives, regulatory measures and the institutions responsible for implementation.

Mr Isokpunwu also said the African Continental Free Trade Area could give Nigerian manufacturers opportunities to expand into regional markets and contribute to pharmaceutical value chains across Africa.

Government initiatives

Speaking at the meeting, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), Abdu Mukhtar, said the initiative was working with local pharmaceutical manufacturers to identify and prioritise APIs based on Nigeria’s public health needs.

Mr Mukhtar, who was represented by Zara Abba-Aji, said the initiative was also working with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority on excipient manufacturing and exploring ways to improve access to capital and technical expertise for local production.

He said PVAC was engaging a local manufacturer to facilitate access to European Investment Bank financing and technical support, including technology transfer, to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity.

He also highlighted the initiative’s pooled procurement platform, MediPool, which he said was designed to stimulate demand for locally manufactured medicines.

Mr Mukhtar said efforts to strengthen local production must go beyond manufacturing capacity to address affordability, access to finance, workforce development and demand for locally produced medicines.

Earlier, Vivianne Ihekweazu, managing director of Nigeria Health Watch, said the availability of affordable and quality medicines was central to improving healthcare outcomes and strengthening the country’s health system.

Mrs Ihekweazu said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the risks of relying heavily on external supply chains for essential medicines and other health products.

She also expressed concern about the slow progress in implementing the federal government’s executive order to increase local production of healthcare products.

She said the convening was intended to bring government, manufacturers, investors and development partners together to identify the policy, regulatory and investment barriers preventing Nigeria from developing a sustainable domestic pharmaceutical ingredients industry.

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Efforts to strengthen local production

The concerns come as the federal government intensifies efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines and strengthen domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.

In September, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the federal government was targeting at least 70 per cent local production of essential healthcare products by 2030.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said about 87 local manufacturers were benefiting from incentives under a presidential executive order granting tariff relief on pharmaceutical machinery, active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients.

The government also said it had secured about $2 billion in financing commitments to support local healthcare manufacturing, with approximately 50 Nigerian health companies in advanced discussions for funding.

The federal government has expressed concern over the rise in neonatal mortality in Nigeria, despite a decline in deaths among children under five.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, disclosed this while citing the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey at the commemoration of the 2026 National Health Promotion Day in Abuja on Thursday.

According to the survey, under-five mortality declined from 132 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 110 in 2024, representing a reduction of about 17 per cent.

However, neonatal mortality, which measures deaths within the first 28 days of life, increased from 39 to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births within the same period.

Mr Pate, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, said the figures highlight the need to accelerate preventive healthcare, early diagnosis and timely access to quality medical services.

The event, themed “Health Promotion: Owning My Health,” with the slogan “Take Charge, Live Well,” marked the third edition of the National Health Promotion Day.

The minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which prioritises improving maternal and child health, strengthening primary healthcare, expanding immunisation, tackling non-communicable diseases and reducing the burden of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

He described health promotion as a strategic investment in the country’s health system, noting that improving health outcomes required more than the availability of hospital services.

According to him, preventive interventions, informed individual choices, healthier environments and systems that support citizens’ wellbeing are equally important.

Preventive healthcare

Mr Pate listed ongoing preventive health interventions to include hypertension detection, hepatitis elimination through initiatives such as Project 365, cervical cancer prevention and screening, improved nutrition, immunisation and measures to prevent and control communicable diseases.

He said the impact of these interventions should be measured through increased screening, completed referrals, access to treatment and the prevention of avoidable illnesses.

He also stressed that public awareness must be matched by accessible, affordable and effective healthcare services.

According to the minister, awareness campaigns alone would not produce the desired outcomes if people could not access screening, obtain appropriate treatment or receive safe and respectful care.

He called for stronger collaboration among families, schools, workplaces, traditional and religious institutions, the media, civil society organisations, development partners and the private sector to promote healthy diets, physical activity, good hygiene, mental wellbeing, vaccination and appropriate screening.

He also urged stakeholders to address misinformation and harmful health practices.

The minister further called on all levels of government to integrate health promotion into routine primary healthcare, community engagement and development planning to ensure that vulnerable and underserved populations were not left behind.

He urged Nigerians to embrace the campaign slogan, “Take Charge, Live Well,” by seeking credible health information, understanding their health risks, participating in recommended screening and immunisation programmes, and seeking medical attention promptly when necessary.

Stakeholders pledge support

In their goodwill messages, development partners and civil society organisations reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in advancing health promotion.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNDP) representative, Olukunle Omotoso, emphasised the importance of community engagement, health literacy, gender equality and access to sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for women and young people.

CARE International, represented by Oluloto Ebenezer, also pledged continued support for initiatives aimed at promoting positive health-related behavioural changes at the community level.

Similarly, the Africa Health Budget Network highlighted the importance of family planning, healthy nutrition and routine screening for hypertension and diabetes.

The Permanent Secretary, Ms Kachollom, encouraged participants to take advantage of screening services provided at the event to promote early disease detection and encourage greater responsibility for personal health.

Nigeria’s maternal and newborn mortality burden

The latest figures come against the backdrop of Nigeria’s high burden of maternal and newborn deaths.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria recorded a maternal mortality ratio of 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.

In its 2023 report, titled “Improving Maternal and Newborn Health and Survival and Reducing Stillbirths: Progress Report 2023,” WHO estimated that Nigeria recorded 82,000 maternal deaths, 181,000 stillbirths and 277,000 neonatal deaths in 2020.

The combined 540,000 deaths accounted for 12 per cent of global maternal, stillbirth and neonatal deaths, despite Nigeria contributing only six per cent of the world’s live births.

The report ranked Nigeria second after India among the countries with the highest combined burden of maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths.