Senator Natasha seeks NCDMB, NAFDAC partnership on alternative medicine

The lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has promised to foster collaboration between Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to strengthen the complimentary medicine-local content industry sector.

Senator Natasha, who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, disclosed this on Tuesday during oversight visits to some MDAs by the Senate Committee on Health.

The collaboration, she said, would facilitate the development of high-tech laboratories for the furtherance of research in alternative medicine and pharmaceutical products; and also support the growth of indigenous start-ups in medical fields.

“Israel amongst other countries, especially America has taken huge interest in alternative medicine and it will interest you to know that some of the raw materials they use are being outsourced from a number of African countries including Nigeria.

“So, if our raw materials can be taken out of here (Nigeria) into Israel or America and developed into clinically proven drugs, we should be able to invest resources to develop the best products to tackle health challenges right in our localities.

“The Local Content is ready for collaboration and I believe funding won’t be an issue because we already have funds with CBN and even Bank of Industry and we would be able to work towards developing a collaboration between NAFDAC and NCDMB to convert existing structures the one of the NOGAPS Industrial Parks into medical high-tech hubs so empirical and clinical research can be conducted and monitored, ” she stated.

Responding, the NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Moji Adeyeye complained about lack of support from the federal government towards the development of the alternative medicine sector adding that more clinical research is required as that will help in regulating the practitioners and their products in the country.