Nigeria can make up to $280m by 2020, if polio vaccines are manufactured locally – NIFT
National Immunisation Financing Tax Team (NIFT) says Nigeria can make an additional $215 million in 2016 and $280 million by 2020 to her GDP, if polio vaccines are manufactured locally.
Chairman NIFT, Ben Anyene, disclosed this Tuesday when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the minister of science and technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, in Abuja.
Anyene said this would avail Nigeria the opportunity to save employment and resource being taking out of the country while creating wealth, contribute to human development, and national security.
His words, “If we can produce vaccine locally, it is a potential source of revenue with so many advantages. Nigeria can make $215 million in 2016 and by 2020; we will be making $280 million. And of course we save employment and resource being taking out of the country. We create wealth; we contribute to human development, national security.”
He averred that if all necessities are put into a workable condition, with the strength of Nigeria market, there are a lot of interest and investors within and outside, wanting to know how they can come in and contribute, but nothing can be done without the support of the government.
“Most of the technical people who produced vaccines in the past are still there. What we require is to have an audit to determine the kind of capacity they have.” Responding, Ogbonnaya Onu, commending the effort of the organisation, encouraged the agency not to rest on their oars, adding that the government would lead the way in the local production of vaccines.
“We have seen that we can no longer rely on import to survive. It is better to produce than to consume. We in the mini will lead the way in local production of vaccine,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria has no option than to embark on this venture of producing vaccines locally for her needs and also be exporting to earn foreign exchange.
“We have the market, and this is something we have done before and even exported. So, there is no reason we cannot go back. This has affected every aspect of national life. We have to go back to lead the whole of Africa waiting for us and indeed, the rest of the world.”
He charged the national biotechnology development agency NABDA to lead the way and insist on best standards adding that Nigeria as a country don’t want to remain poor, as it is better to be a wealthy nation and stop depending on aids to survive and start to give aids to others.
“We will make sure we assist you in every way possible, including involving the private sector. We will pursue it with vigour and we would come up with a policy document and business case that will lead the way in ensuring local production of vaccine and boost foreign exchange,” said the minister