By Hassan Zaggi
Since the past three years, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), has developed and registered five products for the treatment of various diseases.
On the other hand, 30 other products for the treatment of different diseases are on the process of development which will soon be completed and unveiled.
The Director General of NIPRD, Dr. Obi Adigwe, disclosed this when the Coordinator of Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), Dr. Aminu Magashi, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, yesterday.
The successes, according Dr. Adigwe, were achieved due to the hard work and dedication of scientists working in the Institute.
He disclosed that NIPRD has over 75 scientists with Masters and Ph.Ds in different fields of phyto medicine which made the institute among the top best in Africa.
“We have five products which have been developed in different disease areas, but we have between 25 and 30 under development.
“More importantly, we would not have been able to achieve any of these APIs if we didn’t have a sterling team that exist here in NIPRD.
“We have close to 75 masters and Ph.Ds aggregated around the value chain segment of the pharmaceutical and phyto medicinal development spectrum,” he said.
Dr. Adigwe further disclosed that since the past three and half years, NIPRD had received over 100 pieces of equipment.
“Talk about PCI, HPIC and synthesizer, there is no category of equipment that are indicated internationally for highest pharmaceutical phyto medicinal, microbiology and any type of analysis that you will not find in this institute.
“The equipment have now revalidated our efforts in providing innovative and world-class analysis in terms of the work that we do. All these equipment helped us to produce world –class results over time,” Dr. Adigwe further revealed.
While noting that NIPRD has been able to overcome most of its infrastructural challenges due to the massive support of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, Dr. Adigwe said: “In addition to upgrading our laboratories, currently, we are operating on the highest international standard and having highest World Health Organisation (WHO) standard. Our laboratories are now supported by 24 hours power through solar supply and inverters.”
He commended AHBN for supporting the COVID-19 National Summit which was organised late year by the federal government, noting that it complemented the scientific conference held by the NIPRD, because, according to him, “it meant that a lot of things that we were talking about from the academical and philosophical could also be translated to impact.”
Speaking, the Coordinator of AHBN, Dr. Aminu Magashi, said that the reason of the courtesy visit was to have an understanding of the workings of the NIPRD and support in amplifying the good work of the Institute to the rest of Africa.
While emphasizing on the need for Nigeria to produce and export vaccine and other drugs, Dr. Magashi said: “Among the things we are doing is helping the local mindset that Africa is ready to produce our drugs and also our vaccine and we should not be carried away by always getting donation, we should be producing.
“While we are importing vaccines, we should also be exporting so that the equation will be balanced.
“We are getting donation of vaccines from all over the world, we, as a country, should also be exporting. The naira value will also get better.”
He commended the NIPRD Director General and his team for the great work they are doing, saying: “We appreciate your leadership, your commitment and passion for Nigeria for all successes you achieved in the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), in the phyto medicinal drugs and so many other things.
“It is high time everybody in Nigeria hears what you are doing. Everybody in the street should know what NIPRD is doing.”
On his part, the President, Association of Nigeria Health Journalists (ANHEJ), Hassan Zaggi, applauded the NIPRD management for giving the Institute a new face.
He said that under the current leadership, the institute has experience a turn-around in terms of infrastructure and quality of output.
