Nigeria, Cuba explore prospects of local vaccine production

local vaccine production
July 5, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the poor state of medical infrastructure in the country. However, in a bid to prepare for the next pandemic by putting in place the requisite facilities and developing the needed manpower, Nigeria has sealed a partnership with Cuba with the possibility of producing vaccines locally, MOSES EMORINKEN reports

 

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed several shortcomings in the country’s health system, especially in disease surveillance, diagnostic capacity, infrastructure and equipment, available manpower and health workers’ welfare.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha acknowledged these gaps in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, a very critical lesson the country has learnt is that it cannot perpetually depend on more developed and rich countries for the protection of its citizens, especially with respect to the availability and accessibility of life-saving vaccines. Vaccine hoarding and nationalism by rich countries during the thick of the pandemic was a challenge even for the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The federal and state governments are, therefore, in agreement that there is an urgent need to ramp up investments and domestic funding for public health security. Also, the place of quality partnerships with countries that have the technical know-how and the biotechnology for the manufacture of vaccines cannot be over-emphasised.

The good news is that the Federal Government has shown considerable interest in developing local capacities to be able to produce vaccines, not only for COVID-19.

In February this year, the WHO listed Nigeria and five other countries- Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya and Tunisia, as beneficiaries of its support with the technology and technical guidance to be able to produce mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Recently, Nigeria sent a delegation made up of scientists, government officials, and businessmen to Cuba to further solidify a bilateral relationship with it, especially on vaccine production and biopharmaceutical products on the basis of Cuba’s experience, track records and capacity in these areas.

During a chat with reporters in Abuja early this month on boosting local vaccine production capacity, the Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire said: “The urgency to have the technology to know how to produce vaccines is what is best. So, we are bringing together all our experts, including the producers of vaccines and manufacturers to find the way to have a technology in case of any future new outbreaks to produce vaccines to join in the research, development and innovation.”

 

Exploring the possibility of technology transfer

 

On June 29, 2022, the Cuban Embassy in Nigeria convened a meeting with a diverse group of Nigerian delegates to Cuba on their return. The meeting provided a forum for them to report on their findings in Cuba in relation to vaccine and biopharmaceutical production, technology transfer, and other business relationships.

Chief among the feedbacks from the Nigerian delegates to Cuba was the primal interest of the Nigerian Government to, not just import vaccines, and medicines, among others from Cuba, but also to have the technology and technical skills to be able to produce vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria and for Nigerians. This led to the signing of the document of interest with the Cuban Government.

Giving his account of the trip to Cuba, the Director of the Medical Biotechnology Department of the National Biotechnology Development Agency under the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Barth Ibeh, said there were four strategic engagements with the country, namely contract manufacturing, technical assistance, technology acquisition and collaboration/partnerships.

He said: “A striking experience we had was the COVID-19 vaccine. We also learnt that the childhood vaccine is also available in Cuba, which can be administered to children less than 18 years. We saw the commitment of the Cuban Government to see that biotechnology, research and medical areas of the country are developed to what we witness today.

“The Nigeria Ambassador to Cuba was present in all discussions and made it possible for an Expression of Interest to be signed. We hope that the outcome of that will be taken up and from there we will hold further discussions in streamlining specific entities that actually were the content of that meeting.”

Another delegate to Cuba, Dr Andrew Iloh, who is the Deputy Director of Research at the Biotechnology Advance Research Centre, Sheda Science and Technology Complex said: “We have already started having meetings to go beyond the expression of interest through the collaboration for research, capacity building and exchange of ideas. We are in talks with the institutions.”

Like Nigeria, Cuba also has its regulatory agency that makes sure that all its medical products are effective and safe. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had two of its officers attend the conference in Cuba to see areas of collaboration between it and the Cuban Government.

On the agency’s findings from the visit, the Director of Registration and Regulatory Affairs at NAFDAC, Dr Monica Eimunjeze, who represented the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said: “We all recognise the role Cuba has played in the biotechnology sector and the capacity inherent in that sector. We are impressed with its input in the biotechnology sector, as well as areas that also support effective regulation and efforts in quality control and safety.

From the Federal Ministry of Health, the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Ngozi Azodoh, added: “Cuba vaccine prowess is something we are curious about. Vaccine security is critical. We want to see how that knowledge in Cuba can be translated to action in Nigeria.”

The Chief Consultant Gynaecologist, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Nisa Premier Hospitals in Abuja, Dr Ibrahim Wada, said: “I know a bit more than many people feel about the medical side of Cuba. There was a time I was coming to work and meningitis was killing everybody. I appealed to the Director-General of NAFDAC to give me emergency authorisation to bring in anti-meningitis vaccines from Cuba to help the people. NAFDAC graciously gave the authorisation.

Of course, we are talking about manufacturing it in Nigeria, but we are not there yet. So, we have to depend on bringing the medications. I was given special permission to bring Oxytocin from Cuba. The pharmacovigilance was 100 per cent in terms of the medications. We have never had issues with medications that NAFDAC has graciously allowed us to bring from Cuba on special permits.”

Prince Kayode Akiolu of the Lagos Island National Constituency 2, and President of the Group of Friends of Nigeria-Cuba Friendship Group at the House of Representatives, added: “Most agencies that come to us don’t propose bills but only come to defend their budgets. I want a system where the Directors-General of Government Agencies can come to talk to lawmakers on policies that can transform the country.”

On behalf of the delegates from the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Head of America and Caribbean Affairs, Dr Jane Abanulo said: “I am so impressed with information from our delegates from Cuba and the level of coordination between Nigeria and Cuba, especially what is happening in our medical fields and the pharmaceuticals.”

 

Cuban willing to partner with Nigeria

 

The Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria, Clara Pulido-Escandell, said the Cuban Government is more than willing to strengthen the bilateral relationship between it and Nigeria, particularly in areas of medical research and technology transfer. She also provided further information about the Nigerian delegation to Cuba.

“The delegation included officials from the Ministry of Health, as well as a visitation from NAFDAC. In the area of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Abdullahi is the person named by the Ministry to lead the team in the area of bilateral relations with Cuba. There was also a representative from the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD).

“This is a very important point because he not only represented the country but also a Nigerian institution was chosen to represent entire West Africa in that meeting. There was also a Professor and Lecturer from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Also, the Ambassador of Nigeria to Cuba, Benaoyagha Okoyen, played a crucial role to see that the programme succeeded.

“At the end of the day, a document of intention was signed between Ambassador Benaoyagha Okoyen and the President of the Group of Biotechnological and Pharmaceutical Industries (BIOCUBAFARMA), who represented the Republic of Cuba. BIOCUBAFARMA is Cuba’s most astounding institution in the area of biotechnology. They signed the document to express the willingness of both governments to continue bilateral relationships.

“We are extremely convinced in Cuba about what we have done and researched, and the achievements that we have made are not only for Cubans but for people all over the world. Particularly, we have a very special relationship with Africa and inside of Africa – Nigeria.”

The excitement generated during the meeting by the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria and the Nigerian delegation to Cuba indicates that a positive outcome should be expected from the partnership between the two countries on technology transfer and local production of vaccines and other biopharmaceutical products.

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