Tinubu Govt Mulls Executive Order To Stop Medical Manufacturers From Exiting Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu may issue an executive order to stop manufacturing firms from further exiting the country over the hostile operating environment.

GWG learnt that the executive order, which is being prepared by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, as well as the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, will incorporate practicable solutions, quick wins, and medium and long-term solutions to completely and permanently resolve the challenges confronting manufacturing in the country. The measures may also require a reduction or outright ban on the importation of syringes and needles into the country.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, gave a clue to the possible executive order at the end of a meeting with medical syringe and needles manufacturers in Abuja,

He spoke in the presence of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, as he disclosed that there was an ongoing discussion with the stakeholders on the executive order. 

Alausa confirmed that an agreement was reached based on the directive of the president to reduce the cost of pharmaceutical products and medical supplies in the country.

Dr Uzoka-Anite said, “We just had a very good meeting with the needle and syringes manufacturers in Nigeria – the five companies that are still operating today. We explored and discussed many practicable solutions where we can begin to have some quick wins; some immediate solutions that we will be incorporating in the executive order, which the president has asked us to work on, as well as medium and long-term solutions on how we can get this problem completely and permanently resolved.

“Everyone was happy at the end of the meeting and we believe we have addressed all the issues that will put this industry on the path of sustainability, where they can begin to create durable and well-paying jobs for our citizens – and where we would have needles and syringes that are of high quality, that would not be harming our citizens as they go to our hospitals or healthcare facilities to seeks care.”

She noted the challenges confronting the manufacturing companies and described them as “not knotty”. She said that what was required was little policy changes, hence, the need to dialogue with the operators to enable the government to deploy the right policy intervention.

“The mandate we have been given by the president is to fix every problem in Nigeria; every problem affecting manufacturers in every segment of the country. Last Wednesday, at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, we took the healthcare sector specifically to understand what their challenges are. And the mandate the president gave us was that we should go and fix it as quickly as possible. The president intends to ensure that, one, the prices of manufactured medicines drop, and people have greater access to these medicines, and that they are more affordable and of higher quality. I can assure you that everything that we discussed here will be taken and expedited and this is the only assurance I can give to you” Dr. Doris said.

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