Director-General, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Obi Adigwe, says with the right partnerships, Nigeria can lead in the production of vaccines in Africa.
He stated this Thursday when he visited the Minister of State for Health, Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, ahead of a national colloquium being organised by NIPRD in partnership with a law firm with offices in Nigeria and Ghana- ÁELEX.
Adigwe said the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique opportunities for the growth of pharmaceutical products, intellectual property rights and education worldwide.
He said that NIPRD was the first African institute to develop a world class phytomedicine from drug discovery up to phase two clinical trials and is also repurposing Niprimune, its flagship immunomodulatory agent for relevant clinical studies for COVID-19.
Adigwe further noted that, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NIPRD pioneered and strongly advocated for indigenous manufacturing of hand sanitisers from locally sourced raw materials.
Mamora applauded the NIPRD for the good work it had been doing in recent times, especially, in the fight against COVID-19.