By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Presidential Initiative on Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) is facilitating the transfer of mRNA vaccine technology to Nigerian institutions and manufacturers to strengthen local vaccine production.
The statement by Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of PVAC, indicates that the objective is for Nigeria to benefit from mRNA technology and develop the capacity to manufacture mRNA vaccines locally.
Dr Mukhtar emphasised that, as a catalyst and enabler of interventions across Nigeria’s healthcare value chain, as mandated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, PVAC considers partnerships that can build a viable local manufacturing ecosystem critical to achieving this goal. He added that private-sector partners willing and ready to absorb the transferred technology have already been identified.
Speaking on the opportunities, strategy and way forward for the utilisation of mRNA technology in Nigeria, the Team Lead, Product Development and Manufacturing at the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Claudia Nannei, said the objectives can only be achieved with strong government support.
Nigeria currently relies heavily on imported human vaccines. However, PVAC and relevant stakeholders are working to strengthen local manufacturing capacity, with the goal of achieving greater vaccine self-sufficiency and contributing to Africa’s ambition of producing more than 50 percent of the vaccines it requires locally.
