Nigeria considers imported syringes ban despite dwindling local capacity

THE Federal Government has said it is planning to put a total ban on the importation of syringes into the country to promote local production.

To this end, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control ( NAFDAC), said it has halted approvals for further syringe imports. NAFDAC’S Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency ( NPHCDA) was given the last import order in December 2023 with the instruction that they should begin to source from local manufacturers thereafter.

Similarly, Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, said a total ban on medical syringe importation will encourage local production and help to grow the nation’s economy.

The duo disclosed this during a visit to Afrimedical Manufacturing and Supplies Limited Syringe factory in Ogun State recently.

According to Adeyeye, the suspension applies even to syringes previously imported by NAFDAC’S international partners. Adeyeye also expressed the need for a holistic approach by all the relevant agencies of government to solve the problem of substandard falsified medical devices coming into the country through the ports.

While the duo called for a ban, the country has been unable to meet local demand for years, even when Nigeria had eight recognised medical equipment manufacturers. Once a thriving hub for syringe and needle manufacturing in Africa, Nigeria has seen the closure of most of the syringe factories, with Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company being the latest casualty in December 2023.

Local production was around 50 per cent a few years ago while importation bridged the gap. With most of those companies folded up and the rest struggling due to several economic reasons, local production is less than 20 per cent and the few remaining manufacturers will struggle to adequately meet local demand, never mind export outside the country.

Nigeria’s syringe manufacturing industry was once touted as a developing sub- sector with ample economic potential. Investment in the sector is estimated to be about N64bn with a potential local market value of about N100bn and a direct employment opportunity for 3000 Nigerians. It is also estimated that over a billion units of syringes and needles are imported into Nigeria yearly, resulting in the loss of huge foreign exchange to the tune of $ 150m per annum.

In a statement signed by NAFDAC’S Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, the Health Minister reaffirmed the determination of the federal government to provide the necessary support to the local manufacturing sector.

Alausa claimed the aim of restructuring syringe and needle production in Nigeria is to guarantee the availability of high- quality products manufactured by Nigerians in the market as well as generate employment for Nigerians. He implored NAFDAC to ensure that unbridled importation of syringes does not hamper the development of the local industry through unhealthy competition, urging Adeyeye to engage all relevant agencies to achieve the desired government policy thrust.

On her part, Adeyeye said the government has put in place high tariffs on the importation of syringes to discourage importation. Adeyeye said this has started yielding positive dividends already, as the World Health Organisation ( WHO) recently requested for names of the three syringe manufacturing companies left in Nigeria and have been contacted for guidance toward prequalification and eventual access to the products for use.