As part of efforts to boost the manufacture of biopharmaceutical products in the country, a collaborative agreement has been signed by the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST), Abuja, School of Pharmacy of the University of Waterloo (UW-SP) and PharmEng Technology. Core to the agreement is the development of a joint biotechnology and pharmaceutical certification program that will empower Nigerians to develop bio-pharmaceutical products that are relevant to the economy and health of Nigerians using recent technological development in biotechnology.

According to Dr. Oyekanmi Nash, deputy-director (Collaboration and Linkages, NABDA/FMST) and project manager, NABDA STEP-B Project (under the aegis of which the programme is evolving), the agreement was signed recently by DG/CEO of NABDA/FMST, Prof. Bamidele Solomon, Dean, UW-SP, Prof. Jake Thiessen and Managing Director of PharmEng Technolohy, Mr. Alan Kwong. The public-private partnership, the first of its kind in Nigeria, aims at taking advantage of the joint know-how in education, training, research and development in biopharmaceuticals. The 3-Month Joint Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Certificate Program is scheduled to commence in Abuja from September, 2010. Prospective trainees will be drawn from Life Sciences, Engineering and Pharmacy disciplines.

The agreement is a culmination of efforts started in November, 2009, when a stakeholders workshop was held in Abuja on the need-assessment for the nation’s biopharmaceutical industry. The aim of the Workshop was to identify the current knowledge needs in Nigeria and to develop a training program to address the needs with the ultimate goal of building capacity to manufacture biopharmaceuticals in Nigeria to meet national and regional demands for such products. The Workshop was organized by NABDA Step-B Project and included participants from Nigerian universities, industry and Government. The University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy and PharmEng Technology from Canada were invited to the workshop to describe their capabilities and experience in providing training programs and to facilitate the Training Program development portion of the Workshop. The participants expressed the desire to augment capabilities for biopharmaceutical product development in Nigeria and recognized the critical role of NABDA to enable capacity building in this area. Several participants also recognized the need for closer interactions between universities, industry and government to develop products that are relevant to the economy and health of Nigerians. Some of the representatives from universities suggested that biotechnology be included in the basic undergraduate life science and pharmacy curriculum.

Published in THE GUARDIAN, Thursday, July 15, 2010