Fidson Healthcare Plc at the weekend took select journalists on a tour of its newly completed World Health Organisation (WHO)-standard manufacturing factory with a call on the government to prioritise domestic manufacturing of drugs.
Glistering in the daylight sun of Ota, Ogun State, the new plant, arguably the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Africa, is one of the few that had been shortlisted for WHO certification in Nigeria. The new plant is equipped to produce six distinct product lines-tablets, capsules, oral liquids, creams and ointments, dry powder and intravenous infusions to meet Nigeria and regional medicine needs.
The Operations Director, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr Abiola Adebayo, who led the tour, said the factory had gulped N9 billion, with the funding generated through debts and internally generated revenue.
He said the plant was completed about eight months ago, but it could not start operations immediately because of issues of foreign exchange (forex), which has impeded raw materials sourcing.