Nigeria's proposed drug ban offers no safety net, says local newspaper

There is the gloomy predicament confronting Nigeria today as the local pharmaceutical drug manufacturing industry is unable to rise up to the demands of the drug manufacture/distribution/supply needs of the people, reports the local Vanguard newspaper.

That a lot remains to be desired as far as the local pharmaceutical drug manufacturing industry is concerned is not in doubt. Neither is there controversy that urgent and drastic measures are desirable in bringing about appreciable measure of order into the apparent reign of disorder in which the local drug manufacturing industry is currently enmeshed.

This scenario persists, no thanks to the dwindling fortunes of a troubled health sector that is perpetually giving more cause for jeer than for cheer. Things appear to have fallen apart as the center no longer holds for the local pharmaceutical drug manufacturing industry which remains wanting in the areas of R&D, capacity utilization, near-total dependence on importation of raw materials, faulty regulatory environment, a chaotic drug distribution process and proliferation of spurious, fake, substandard and adulterated drug products, to mention just a few.