The Federal Government has signed an agreement with the Empower School of Health, Geneva, to establish a regional training hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing in the country.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Ali Pate, who made this known, did not say where the hub would be located.

But Pate added that 70 new healthcare manufacturing companies have agreed to partner with the government on 22 large-scale projects. 

He described 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,” said the minister.

Highlighting the significance of the development, Pate emphasised that the agreement 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 per cent of domestic consumption by 2030, while also boosting vaccine production, establishing multiple new plants for ‘’biologicals and diagnostics.’’ 

“With over 70 new healthcare manufacturing companies partnering on 22 large-scale projects presently in negotiations, we have now corrected the missing link, a platform in Nigeria for developing our healthcare manufacturing workforce,” Pate added.

He 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.