The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has called for stronger NAFDAC pharmaceutical R&D collaboration between Nigerian universities and local pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce overdependence on imported medical products.
Prof Adeyeye made the call at the 38th edition of the Prof Victor Olufemi Marquis Memorial Lecture, organised by the Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Describing President Bola Tinubu’s recent ban on the importation of readily available products in Nigeria as a crucial catalyst for the growth of the local industry, Prof Adeyeye urged the nation’s academia and pharmaceutical sector to establish a partnership in research and development. This, she said, would enable the development of new products, including medicines and vaccines, tailored to address Nigeria’s specific healthcare needs.
According to the guest lecturer, universities are well-positioned to develop skills, transfer knowledge, and introduce technology to the industry, adding that universities serve as hubs for creating new enterprises, and their roles in knowledge and technology innovation continue to evolve.
She asserted that academia–industry linkage is vital for any nation’s survival, as it fosters formal platforms for joint planning and the implementation of mutually beneficial collaborations.
Prof Adeyeye stated that NAFDAC already collaborates with several universities in Nigeria, noting that such partnerships also provide students with experiential learning opportunities in manufacturing and service industries.
She described the academia–industry relationship as the backbone of the nation’s economic growth, highlighting its role in boosting competitiveness and driving the development of new products.
She further remarked that as economic growth and industrial expansion progress, societal challenges, particularly unemployment, would be alleviated, GDP would rise, and the quality of life would improve.
Prof Adeyeye disclosed that over the past seven years, Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry has witnessed significant growth, driven by increasing demand for healthcare solutions, the strengthening of regulatory systems, and various government initiatives, including the Executive Order announced by President Bola Tinubu in 2024.
“NAFDAC conducted a study on the top five imported pharmaceutical products and the top five locally manufactured ones. The results showed that the top five imported products were identical to those produced locally. It was illogical to continue importing these items, so the Agency introduced the ‘Five Plus Five’ Regulatory Directive.
“This means that the first registration of an imported product within the top five category grants authorisation to sell for five years. The next five years will be the final registration cycle, at the end of which the product must be manufactured locally. As a result, approximately 30 per cent of newly established or restructured local pharmaceutical manufacturing firms in Nigeria now exist because of the ‘Five Plus Five’ Regulatory Directive,” she explained.
The NAFDAC boss maintained that the Agency is laying the groundwork for pharmaceutical research and development, leveraging Nigeria’s vast and untapped potential. She emphasised that global trends underscore the importance of local innovations that drive self-sufficiency in healthcare.
She insisted that Nigerians must take pride in locally produced goods, asserting, “Our products are now of better quality than they used to be, thanks to the strengthening of the regulatory system.”
“NAFDAC’s role is pivotal in enabling this transformation, and the time to build a robust R&D system for a healthier Nigeria is now,” she added.
She also stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing global business realignment should serve as lessons, reinforcing the need to reduce excessive reliance on other countries for commodities that can be manufactured domestically while maintaining essential global trade collaborations.
She reiterated that while the country will inevitably import some drugs, it must detach itself from dependence on donations and handouts from other nations, as Nigeria possesses immense untapped talent. She emphasised that research and development (R&D) is not a luxury but a necessity for national health security and economic growth.
To initiate the process, Prof Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC plans to launch a pilot R&D collaboration programme involving participants from universities and a select group of Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers.
She explained that manufacturers would choose their preferred university partners for specific R&D projects based on their needs or existing gaps. She stressed that academia–industry linkage must be built upon legally endorsed confidentiality agreements and memoranda of understanding.
Addressing the enthusiastic academic audience, she stated that the pilot programme would be overseen at arm’s length to prevent any conflict of interest when the outcome of the industry-academia collaboration is submitted to the Agency for regulatory approval. According to the Director-General, the programme could be scaled up in the future.
She also noted that she would work closely with the CEO of the Nigeria Natural Medicines Development Agency (NNMDA), who is actively involved in the National Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA), to oversee the selection of universities and ensure that the collaboration is productive.
The careful selection process aims to identify faculty members—narrowed down to one or two researchers per university—who have the expertise to collaborate with the industry, translate research into viable products, solve pharmaceutical challenges, and focus efforts on return on investment for manufacturers.
She cited an example of a company identifying a product with an impending patent expiration. Such a company could collaborate with university researchers to reformulate a sustained-release version of the product, thereby enhancing patient compliance.
Prof Adeyeye highlighted potential areas of collaboration between academia and industry, particularly in clinical trials and bioequivalence studies, where universities could contribute to patient recruitment, trial coordination, and ethical approvals. She stressed that universities should prioritise the development of indigenous vaccines to combat endemic diseases in the West African region, such as Lassa fever.
Additionally, she underscored the importance of vaccine manufacturing partnerships through technology transfer and local ‘fill and finish’ processes. She pointed out that many opportunities exist for universities to engage in vaccine production, but the requisite skill set can only be developed through effective and innovative collaboration between academia and industry.
She emphasised that R&D plays a crucial role in Nigeria, particularly in increasing local pharmaceutical production, reducing import dependence, creating employment, improving healthcare outcomes, lowering disease burden, enhancing medicine accessibility, and advancing targeted therapy and treatment options.
As Nigeria develops R&D clusters and an integrated innovation ecosystem, she stated that it is time to strengthen the academic research community and improve the livelihoods of millions, thereby driving national development.
Prof Adeyeye asserted that Nigeria has the potential to excel, stressing, “We have the partnerships and the regulatory framework in place to support these efforts. By focusing our resources and leveraging collaboration, we can unlock Nigeria’s R&D capabilities.”
She maintained that the pilot programme marks a critical first step, urging academia to work hand in hand with industry and NAFDAC to build a future where pharmaceutical innovation thrives in Nigeria, for Nigeria.
