COVID-19 vaccines produced in Nigeria’ll meet int’l standards — NAFDAC

Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, says COVID-19 vaccines and others produced in Nigeria will meet internationally acceptable standards.

She said the federal government’s huge spending on the fight against COVID-19 was exemplified by the construction of the new COVID-19 laboratory, equipped with modern equipment and amenities at the agency.

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Adeyeye, according to a statement from the agency Sunday, said this during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on COVID-19 to NAFDAC facilities and COVID-19 laboratory projects in Lagos.

“NAFDAC is now very strong with WHO Maturity Level 3 certification. Nigeria can now make her own vaccines and we can assure the populace that there is quality in whatever is being manufactured because of NAFDAC’s strength. 

“If the regulatory agency is not strengthened, the industry will not be strengthened. We have the African Free Trade Agreement already here with us now for the nation’s pharmaceutical industry to take advantage of with quality products.

“There will be a lot of competition and if NAFDAC’s laboratory is not strengthened, we will not be able to compete’’. 

‘’For vaccine, we are hoping that the vaccine facilities from the public- private partnership will soon happen. But if the regulatory agency is not strong, we can make vaccines that will destroy our own people,’’ she said. 

Chairman, House Committee on COVID-19, Haruna Mshelia, commended NAFDAC for the judicious use of COVID-19 funds. 

He also lauded the agency for leveraging on latest technology to upgrade the agency to a standard next to none in Africa.  

The lawmaker said: “We have also seen the equipment awaiting to be installed in the laboratories. I have to say kudos to the DG and her team for getting good value for money as far as COVID-19 funds for NAFDAC is concerned. Other agencies should come to NAFDAC and learn how they have leveraged on ICT to move their organization forward so that everywhere our standard can be uplifted with everyone seeing it.”