The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced a groundbreaking achievement in the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry. Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited has become the first indigenous manufacturer in West and Central Africa to have two products prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO Prequalification Unit added Sulphadoxine/Pyrimethamine tablets, manufactured by Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited, to its list of prequalified products. This follows the prequalification of Pediatric Zinc Sulphate tablets in May 2023.
NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, attributed this success to the agency’s policies and collaboration with Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited. She encouraged other local manufacturers to emulate this feat and assured NAFDAC’s support for those who have shown continued compliance to regulations.
According to the NAFDAC Chairman’s statement, “This is no doubt the outcome of meaningful collaboration between the Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited and NAFDAC as well as a systematic implementation of policies earlier mentioned.
“With this achievement, Swiss Pharma has added another first to its arsenal of firsts. Being the first manufacturer to be recognized by the WHO as operating at an acceptable level of compliance to GMP requirements in West Africa in 2013, the manufacturer is now also the first manufacturer of finished pharmaceutical product to attain prequalification of 2 products in the West Africa and Central Africa Sub-region within the time space of 15months.”
The NAFDAC boss noted that the achievement reinforces Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry as a force to be reckoned with globally, and Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited is now a trailblazer in supplying quality essential medicines for public health programs.
