Vaccine
By Abujah Racheal
Abuja, Dec. 18, 2025 (NAN) Nigeria is moving closer to achieving end-to-end vaccine manufacturing as Innovative Biotech Nigeria advances plans to establish a fully integrated vaccine production facility, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Simon Agwale, confirmed.
Agwale, Chairman of the Technology Working Group and Vice Chairman of the African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative (AVMI), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
The project, under development for nearly two decades, aims to cover the entire vaccine value chain, including research and development, active pharmaceutical ingredient production, and downstream formulation and fill-and-finish operations.
“Most vaccine facilities in Africa only perform formulation or packaging after importing active ingredients.
“Our objective is to establish a fully integrated, end-to-end vaccine manufacturing company in Nigeria.
“The company currently has several vaccine candidates in development, including those for Lassa fever, HIV, and Ebola, while licensing commercially available vaccines for local formulation, fill, and finish processes.
“These vaccines include those used in Nigeria’s routine childhood immunisation programme, as well as vaccines for typhoid and outbreak-prone diseases, such as meningitis, to strengthen public health and national immunisation efforts,” he said.
Agwale explained that creating a fully integrated vaccine manufacturing facility required investment exceeding 100 million dollars, with the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank) providing funding for detailed feasibility studies to guide the project.
“The studies cover technical and financial feasibility, process design, environmental impact assessment, capital and operational expenditure, and proposed investment and equity structures, ensuring the facility is viable, sustainable, and compliant with international standards.
“The environmental impact assessment for our proposed site at Abuja Technology Village has been completed, and we are now awaiting certification from the Federal Ministry of Environment to move forward with construction.
“Once certification is obtained, the research and development phase will begin, followed by construction of a modular manufacturing facility in Europe, which will be assembled on-site in Nigeria to enable end-to-end production,” he said.
He explained that if funding were immediately available, the facility could be completed within 18 months, with an additional four months required for qualification, validation, and regulatory testing before vaccine production could officially begin.
Agwale said the initiative would enhance national health security by enabling rapid local response to pandemics and outbreaks, reducing dependence on international supply chains and improving Nigeria’s overall preparedness for future health emergencies.
“During COVID-19, Nigeria relied heavily on global goodwill for vaccine access.
“Local production will ensure timely availability and readiness, allowing a faster, independent response to pandemics and other disease outbreaks,” he explained.
He said the project was expected to create high-technology jobs, generate foreign exchange through exports, and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported vaccines, strengthening the economy while building national expertise in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“A significant portion of locally produced vaccines will be exported to other African countries and global markets, generating foreign currency earnings while enhancing Nigeria’s reputation as a hub for vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
“The initiative will also serve as a practical training and innovation platform for Nigerian students and researchers, providing hands-on experience in vaccine manufacturing, regulatory science, diagnostics, and other essential areas of biotechnology,” he added. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Abiemwense Moru