The Federal Government and May & Baker Plc, which is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, are set to jointly invest N2.6 billion in the production of vaccines locally. This will help the country cut its dependence on importation of the medicines and improve response time to viral and infectious diseases.
The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the joint venture agreement between the Federal Government and May & Baker plc to produce vaccines in the country from 2017 to 2021.
The partnership deal comes as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced that deaths from Cerebrospinal Meningitis has hit 1,114 in the last 22 weeks that the disease was first reported in the country. The NCDC also noted that disease has spread to four more local governments in the country, bringing the total of local governments affected by the disease to 226.
“So far, a total of 14,005 suspected cases have been identified from 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Out of 901 samples sent for laboratory testing, 423 (46.9%) were confirmed positive for Neisseria meningitidis. 73% (309) of tested samples showed the causative organism to be Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C. The number of deaths recorded so far is 1,114 giving a case fatality rate (CFR) of 8%.”
The most affected States remain Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi but the NCDC says all the states are recording a drop in number of cases. The Federal Government has mainly tackled the meningitis spread with imported vaccines procured with the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Government believes that local production of these vaccines will ensure the country is better prepared to deal with future outbreaks of major diseases.
Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health, who briefed newsmen after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, said the Federal Government is contributing the Institute of Vaccines Research, where the new company will take-off, as its equity.
The equity participation will be 51 per cent from May &Baker, and 49 percent from the Federal Government, with an initial take off capital of N100 million and equity contribution of N1.3 billion and N1.2 billion respectively.
The board of the company will comprise seven people, four from May and Baker and three from the Federal Government.
“FEC approved a joint venture agreement between the Federal Government and May&Baker Plc to produce vaccines from 2017 to 2021.
“The Federal Government is using existing facility at the Federal Vaccine Production Lab, Lagos, as our equity. That has been valued by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing at about N1.27 billion and May & Baker will put in about N1.3 billion, in keeping with the 51 percent and 49 percent equity participation.
“Between 1940 and 1991, Nigeria was not only producing smallpox, yellow fever, and anti-rabbies vaccines but we also exported to Cameroon, Central African Republic and a few other countries.
“In 1991 the vaccine production laboratory stopped working because government wanted to reactivate and upgrade the facility which did not take place till today. What council did today was to was put live into this joint venture agreement that proposes to establish a company called Bio-Vaccines LTD which will be jointly owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria and May & Baker Plc” the minister said.
Adewole, who briefed newsmen alongside the ministers of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Science and Technology, Ogbonaya Onu and Niger Delta, Usani Usani, said the partnership will take-off this year.
He explained that the FEC will allow the Attorney-General of the Federation to perfect the agreement and “hopefully in the next two weeks, we should sign this agreement and once the agreement is signed, we are ready to fly”.
According to him, the agreement was to further secure the lives of Nigerians, since the production of vaccines is now considered as a security issue.
“We have considered vaccines as a security issue, it is not only health but we need to consider the security of all Nigerians, particularly our children. So, with this agreement, we will be able to produce those vaccines and from 2021 and beyond, every other vaccine that is necessary will also be out for administration
to Nigerians.
“We are quite happy that today it has taken place and we believe that Nigeria has started a journey to vaccines security” he said.
The minister said he also briefed the council on the meningitis outbreak, adding that the country was almost at the end of it. “What we are now doing is to prepare to ensure that this does not repeat itself next year,” he added.
Council also received briefing on the unfortunate incident where a body was flown into the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo, by Kenya Airways.
According to the minister, the body was brought in without the necessary approval. “The standard procedure is that for you to fly in a body into Nigeria, you need a waiver, a sort of approval issued by a federal ministry of health” and this was not sought.
He assured Nigerians that the body tested negative to Ebola and any of the hemorrhagic fevers adding “We know the cause of death but for confidential reasons we do not have to disclose it. But it is nothing really to worry about”.
Elizabeth Archibong
