Nigeria’s health sector reform has taken a bold step as the federal government signed a landmark agreement with the Empower Scho...
Nigeria’s health sector reform has taken a bold step as the federal government signed a landmark agreement with the Empower School of Health, Geneva, to establish a regional training hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing in the country, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has disclosed.
In addition, he revealed that 70 new healthcare manufacturing companies are partnering the federal government on 22 large-scale projects, with negotiations presently ongoing.
Pate, who disclosed this on Sunday in a broadcast, described the new initiative, Empower Academy Nigeria, as a giant step forward under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I am pleased to inform you that under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria has taken a giant step forward in its effort to localise the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in our country for the benefit of our people, our economy, and our region at large,” he said.
Highlighting the significance of the development, the Minister emphasised that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would lay the foundation for a skilled workforce to support Nigeria’s growing healthcare manufacturing sector.
According to him, the initiative aims to increase Nigeria’s local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals to at least 70 percent of domestic consumption by 2030, while also boosting vaccine production, establishing multiple new plants for biologicals and diagnostics, and doubling Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market share in Africa to 15 percent.
“With over 70 new healthcare manufacturing companies partnering on 22 large-scale projects presently in negotiations, and with incredible support from Ministers such as Jumoke Oduwole and Doris Anite, we have now corrected the missing link, a platform in Nigeria for developing our healthcare manufacturing workforce,” he added.
Pate explained that the Empower Academy would address a significant gap, noting a workforce shortfall of between 5,000 to 7,000 skilled professionals in areas such as advanced manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and quality assurance.
“The new Empower Academy will deliver cutting-edge curricula, train sector-specific faculty and students, and assist regulatory authorities such as NAFDAC in establishing and training on standard operating procedures that will dynamically strengthen the sector on a sustainable basis,” he said.
The Minister also disclosed that Nigeria already has a line of sight to major financing opportunities, including €1 billion from the European Investment Bank and $1 billion from the African Development Bank, aimed at supporting incoming manufacturers in the health and life sciences sector.
Training at Empower Academy Nigeria, he noted, will focus first on qualitative drug production before expanding to advanced pharmaceutical production areas such as excipients, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), inhalers, and dermatological patches.
He stressed the government’s commitment to equitable development across the country, saying, “Naturally, with much of the present pharmaceuticals manufacturing ecosystem located in Lagos and Ogun states, Empower Academy will be sited in strategic locations to ensure balanced regional development.”
The Academy, with a mandate to upskill thousands of professionals annually, will also offer certification courses in collaboration with global bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC), and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), conducted by highly experienced trainers.
Pate also revealed that Empower School of Health will make a significant co-investment in setting up the Nigerian academy, alongside expected grants from a range of international partners.
The Minister, however, acknowledged that the historic development would not have been possible without the critical work of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PIVAC), established by the President in November 2023.
Describing the broader healthcare reform strategy, which includes the National Health Fellows Program launched just over a month ago to train future health leaders across all 774 local government areas, Pate said, “This is a Nigerian renaissance in full motion and in real time.
“Today, we are providing a platform that opens the doors for tens of thousands of new and existing professionals to grow their capacity for the benefit of all our citizens, our continent, and for the world”.
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