Nigeria To Start Manufacturing Vaccine Soon – NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says Nigeria will soon attain the world health organisation (WHO) benchmark that will allow it to commence the manufacturing of its vaccine. .

Citynews Nigeria reports that the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this when she spoke at the agency’s Staff Award Ceremony.

She explained that attaining the ISO 9001 in June 2019, which is the world’s most recognised Quality Management System (QMS) standard, has put Nigeria in prime position to reach maturity level three threshold which gives leeway to manufacture its own vaccines.

Adeyeye noted that the agency is drawing on sophistication of technology to trail vaccines, especially when the COVID-19 vaccines arrive the country.

She explained that this will enable the agency track and trace vaccines received by patients to ensure that they are safe and monitored for adverse reactions on patients.

“With regards to the establishment of the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) global benchmarking and adoption of international best practices, we want to get to the maturity level three so that Nigeria can manufacture her own vaccines and we are all working on this every day,” she said.

Adeyeye added that the agency’s laboratories were being upgraded to international standards using equipment that were compliant to ISO 17025.

“Our laboratories are changing very rapidly with improvements in new equipment and supplies.

“Our four laboratories that were accredited before I came have received re-accreditation. We have also gotten a new lab – the Yaba Biologies and Vaccines Lab accredited for the first time. Also, our two other labs will be accredited very soon,” she added.