NVRI Vom well positioned for Human COVID-19 vaccine production, says FG

By: Joseph A. Adudu, March 12, 2022

Main entrance to NVRI Vom

The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Vom is said to be well positioned for Human COVID-19 vaccine production. This is the submissions of Ministers of Agriculture and Health, Dr. Mohamed M. Abubakar and Dr. Osagie Ehanire respectively, during a one - Day working visit to the Institution on Human COVID-19 vaccine production. Recall that in 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided that four countries in Africa can go into production of the COVID-19 vaccine and Nigeria happened to be one of these countries.

According to the minister of health, the Federal Government used to produced vaccines in Yaba, Lagos State but the facility was shutdown since 1992 for renovation but it was later abandoned completely. He added that this was proberbly due to so much oil money Nigeria was making then and much emphasis was placed on importation rather than looking inward to produce locally. "And so the facility was abandoned because we didn't know we would one day need that facility.

Group photograph of the Hon. Ministers of Health and Agriculture Dr. Osagie Ehanire and Dr. Mohammed Abubakar (middle), the Executive Director of NVRI, Dr. Maryam Muhammad (3rd from left), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye DG NAFDAC (4th from left), Dr. Omatoyo Bulu, Director of Immunization USAID American Embassy and other dignatories on the ministers' entourage after a tour of facilities at NVRI

"By the time we started reviving and restructuring the facility, it was decided that it should be done in collaboration with the private sector.

"So, out of that convenience, the FG and the private sector set up a combine Nigeria Vaccine Ltd but nothing has been produced yet because it's just about to take-off.

"However, we said we have other possibilities in other places. We know Vom very well because it is very famous for production of animal vaccines for a very long time.

"This is the reason why I and the Hon. Minister of agriculture are here. To explore the possibility of moving fast because as you just heard, WHO picked us as one of the countries to get methodology for the mNRA platform.

"The mNRA platform is something that is important and it is going to have a lot of potentials to use, not only for COVID-19 but other antigens and they are already talking about the possibility of it working on malaria, TB vaccines and other tropical diseases. This is why we are here today", the minister said.

In her presentation, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NVRI, Dr. Maryam Muhammad posited that NVRI is a solution provider with decades of history in vaccine research, development and production stressing that the Institution is committed to development and promotion of home grown solutions. She revealed that the facility is sitting on a 20,000 hectres of land made of Administrative Block, laboratories and three farmlands adding the Institution has highly skilled personnel and technical platforms. Dr. Muhammad further enumerated some of the achievements of the Institution to include; development of animal vaccines and biologicals producing up to 120million doses of vaccines annually, development of diagnostic reagents, development and equipment of laboratories, development and manufacturing of ethnoveterinary products and sustaining of rapid disease diagnosis and surveillance services having 23 outstation laboratories.

Displayed of vaccines and other quality products at the Quality Control Laboratory complex where Dr. Muhammad, the CEO of NVRI was making explanations while the two ministers listened with keen interest.

Consequently, Dr. Muhammad stated that in other to adapt the mNRA technology and scale up human COVID-19 vaccine production, NVRI needed support in infrastructural upgrade, supplemental equipment and consumables as well as specialized training. Tour of facilities preceded the Executive Director's presentation and at the end of it, the minister of health said, "NVRI is well positioned for Human COVID-19 vaccine production. The potentials are clearly here. They have the human resources, the infrastructure and they also have the experience in vaccine production to be able to join community of those who are producing the human vaccine.

"I am sure the President would be very interested. Of course, we shall require technical support from advanced countries.

"We must look for those who would share technology with us and those who would sponsor because to set up something like this, requires so much money. So, we would need friends and partners".

Minister of Health, Dr. Enahire (l), minister of agriculture Dr. Abubakar (r) speaking to pressmen after a tour of facilities at NVRI Vom

In the words of the minister of agriculture, "I am proud of my ministry, most especially of the staff in NVRI and most particularly proud of the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Maryam who has demonstrated a high sense of knowledge of this place and professionalism.

"She has proven to know everything that is happening here, (about the machines, about the production and operations and everything).

"Just to add to what the minister of health said, this place has the potentials to produce human vaccine and in particular, the COVID-19 vaccine.

"This is more so taking into account the fact that during the presentation by Dr. Maryam, she indicated how far they have gone in vaccine production and the possibility of producing COVID-19 vaccine.

"Therefore, from what they have been doing, the work in this place has been cut down already; from the infrastructure that is already here to personnel, I think a great deal of what would be needed are on ground already.

"It's a matter of adding or subtracting. And I think the sooner we do this, the better for all of us", he said.

Also speaking, the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said Nigeria is ready for Human vaccine production because NAFDAC is ready. "In terms of this facility, it has high potentials. We have the personnel with high intellect and that's what it takes - the knowledge of how to produce vaccines".

Vaccines and other products at the Quality Control Laboratory complex NVRI Vom

In her submission, Dr. Omotayo Bulu, Director of Immunization, USAID, American Embassy, who represented the American Ambassador to Nigeria said America always recognized importance of any nation being able to produce its own vaccine. "We recognize the importance of Nigeria being able to stand out. Among the nations of Africa, Nigeria is the largest and not the largest in only population size, but in brains and capacity.

"We also recognize the importance of Vom and its capacity in what it can do. We collaborate strongly with WHO and other partners who are really strong in this area and we recognize the importance of that collaboration to move Nigeria to the next level.

"If South Africa, Egypt and Algeria are producing vaccines, why can't Nigeria be the next country on the bloc producing vaccines not just for Nigeria alone but to ship to other countries?".

Answering a question on when, specifically would Nigerians expect the local production of the human vaccine taking into account what is on ground at NVRI and also the options declared by the CEO of NVRI, Dr. Ehanire said two committees would be set up to enhanced the vaccine production. "Before you produce vaccine, you have to do a lot of coordination and we have agreed that we are going to set up one technical working group made up of experts from ministry of health.

"We shall also be setting up a steering Committee made of Ministers and Advisers who would oversee what the technical Committee is doing. From there, we would move to get the vaccine production on tract", the health minister said.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye DG NAFDAC

Earlier in her presentation, Dr. Muhammad had made two options available to the FG. The first option would take six months while the second would take one and half years for the production of the human vaccine.The two ministers and their entourage returned to Abuja same day.

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