… Revive local drug manufacturing
The Africa Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), backed by Afrexim Bank, is expected to ramp up efforts to lure global pharmaceutical companies back to Nigeria, as part of efforts to revive local drug manufacturing and cut reliance on imports, Brian Deaver, chief executive officer of the center, told BusinessDay.
The initiative is part of a broader push to reposition Nigeria as a viable hub for pharmaceutical production in West Africa, as policymakers and health leaders confront the risks of external supply shocks and rising medicine costs.
“We are engaged in trying to draw pharmaceutical companies back to Nigeria. We lost one a couple of years ago that had been here for a few years. And that was largely due to exchange rate problems. But we are hopeful that we can attract the likes of Novartis and some others to produce and sell here in Nigeria as a result of the research that we’re doing,” he said.
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Launched on 5 June in Abuja, the AMCE is Africa’s first specialist medical centre of its kind, backed by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and in partnership with King’s College Hospital, London. The facility aims to become a regional hub for research, clinical trials, and advanced specialist care.
In an exclusive interview, Deaver told BusinessDay that the centre is using clinical trials as a lever to draw in big drug makers, offering them a pathway to test, distribute and potentially produce within the country.
“Any time you are engaged in clinical trials, there is that opportunity to attract those that are manufacturing those drugs to come here,” Deaver said.
He disclosed that the centre is actively engaging major global drug makers to explore opportunities for local production and distribution.
Nigeria has seen a wave of pharmaceutical divestments in recent years, driven by FX shortages, import dependency, and rising operational costs. With over 70 per cent of the country’s medicines still imported, local manufacturing remains weak despite strong market potential, placing pressure on healthcare affordability and access.
The Bola Tinubu administration has introduced measures aimed at stabilising the naira and liberalising the FX regime. Analysts say the reforms are beginning to restore confidence across key industries, including healthcare.
Deaver stressed that one of the key focus for AMCE is clinical research tailored to the African genome, noting that most drugs prescribed on the continent were developed based on European and North American genetic data.
“There will be another building dedicated to clinical trials. Now, that’s important as we partner with the likes of Novartis and some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. We have to look at the drugs and pharmaceuticals available to the African population. Most of what is being taken and prescribed today in terms of medication have been developed on the North American and European genome. And we know that as you look throughout the world, each little pocket in the world has its own fingerprint in the genome.And as a result, we metabolise drugs a little differently.
“So, while they appear to be working pretty well for Africans, they can work better. And so one of the things that we’ll want to do is to engage in clinical trials that will allow Novartis, Roche and some of the other large pharmaceutical companies to make those fine adjustments to medications to ensure maximum metabolism of these drugs and maximum effect,” he explained.
To support these ambitions, Deaver said the AMCE has established a foundation that has already secured $75 million in donations. The fund will be used to finance clinical research, acquire cutting-edge medical equipment and subsidise patient care.
“I’m very happy to report that before we even opened, we were successful in receiving $75 million in donations for that foundation. That doesn’t include commitments that have been made from some of our partners at Novartis and other places,” he added.
In addition to attracting multinational manufacturers, Deaver said AMCE’s operations are expected to have a broader economic impact, including supply chain development and skills transfer. He highlighted a $1 billion funding allocation in partnership with the Nigerian Ministry of Health to fund healthcare companies wanting to come and establish themselves in Nigeria.
