May & Baker begins vaccine production soon

The coast is now clear for Nigeria to resume the manufacturing of vaccines in the country as the Federal Executive Council Wednesday ratified the 12-year-old agreement between it and May & Baker Nigeria Plc for local vaccine production.

The Managing Director/CEO of May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor announced the news while addressing shareholders at the 66th annual general meeting of the company held in Lagos yesterday, saying with the action of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the partners would immediately take steps to reconstitute the board of Biovaccines Nigeria Limited, the company set up for the purpose of vaccine manufacturing in Nigeria through the May & Baker partnership with the Federal Government.

In 2005, May & Baker entered into a joint venture with the Federal Government to take over the facilities of the Federal Vaccine Production Laboratory (FVPL) in Yaba for the purpose of resuming vaccine production which had stopped due to the inability of the FVPL to cope with operational challenges. The project was however delayed due to the non-ratification of the agreement by successive governments.

Mr. Okafor said with the recent development, the company would proceed with all necessary steps to actualize the dream of private vaccine production in Nigeria. He said steps were already being taken to ensure that the project kicked off as soon as the Board of Biovaccines was reconstituted, adding however that at least 18 months would be required to put up the necessary facilities and commence vaccine production.