FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012.
in(justrx:_~--.~ Acquisition, growth strategy for pharmaceutical fi rms _ PMGMAN
Stories: Layi A d e ,oye
HE PhanllM~tka.l Manufacturers Group of the '.{anum.:tunn ~igeria Association of bas proposed n~rs and acqutsition ... the I1lOII effm.a\"e upti XI for pharmaceutical fir DIi in Africa to ~DftJ;... S'ron&er intheaJobalsphcre. The ctwnnal of PMGMAN, Mr Bllnmi Olaopa. while .,mlit.,tin& an address at lhe fourth conference and UJnual &eoem met!tiDll 01 West African Phannatelltica.1 Manufacturers Associ..tion inl..a.&08onTuesdly.raidthe potentialforpbannat eutK:al tht! manufacturiRl Of continent coukl be rurt.ba devdoped t lnugh concerted effort. 1be WAPMA·. 2012 conference bad the theme. "Crowins the Atrica· hued Pbannac etltical
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ManufacturinA Industry.lkmoaninA the plight of African pharmaceutkal firms, mallufacturinA Lhe PMGMAN boss the continentstillla&gedbehind in major bre:akthrou&hs, financial benefits and &!obl:l fundinA o( indUllt.ry· ~lopinA imtiathu. Aa::ordin& to him. the cumont lum~o(Africa · based pbarma industry is less than five per cent of global business. He ~tted that 50 far, only four African manuracturenl were listed by the Workl Health Orpnisation for It!; prequalification programme. but with none coming from the West African sub·rqion. He also lamented the poor level of re:uearcb and development. whida he described uslill too low. CitingtheUnilcdNations Industrial Development
Orpnisation's position, Ola~ said Nigeria and Africa had immense potential in agriculture and
p~ticaL
Despite the potential, be said pbarmacrutical industry on tht! continent had (aUed to keep pace with &Jobal trend as a result of a JIOmecha1Len&es. lie listed the obstacles to puwth in the industry to compme poor infrutructure. which hu continued to en&eode:r high C08tofproduction;low)eovel
of tec:hoology; continued importation of .rove in...-.iit!nt!;: ...... rsistinA ba~rs to cro';.border trade, and hurnall reaource d~pmt!nt needs. Other probtems identified by Olaopa were: the threal poeed by counlerfeit medicines; chaotic pharmaceutical market in the country and the ~on; uistence or a lar&e markd but with poor patronage of locally
made productsj high cost of sourciDA funds and the low competitive penetration of international market. AccordinA to him, if these obstacles are to be overcome, certain thinp must be put right. For instance, such measures, be said. would include improvemenl in Aood manufacturin&practiceand proces!linA of international certirlCl.tes; ur&ent polK:y on donated medicines
in Alnca 10 reftect regional preferences. and encoun&ement of mer&ers and acquisition across African borders. Other industry·liftinA measures recommended by PMGMAN were investment in re:aeardl and devdopmentj production of active pharmac:eutkal invedi~ts re:ponally, especially for essential medicines; and a review of tariffs and other tnlde policies 10 encoul1l&e local of
U TA, VI seek fresh
coUaboration HE lnlenubonal Institute 01 Tropical A&riruIture and the University of lhath. on Wednesday outllnet m'Us of pDIISI"b1l! coIlal:,.ration in an attempt It) iEII'rove Africa's fortunes Aa:ordin&toasta e::nenl by the IITA on lb' Iriday. areas under- cousid Tllion compriltt! the e Ipacity buildin~ establhhn ent of a biotedm01ogy pLltfOnn, anil health, ~ Iphical Information Scio ~. fund rai5iDA for ~rd. food aod nutrition and c Ipacity buiklins. IITA Oired.or--<J!leral. Or Nleran)'JI Satl!lRga. .saKi during a co\.'!1.e.;y visit to the unh--enity "It we He said, collaborate on U>es4I areas, wewilJ beab~ to hell Ltclde the foodanet environ n'ntal chalJen&es facin,; Afliel "Established in 967. 1.... ..1. . IITA remains a .au-·r ID crop impRM!D1eni and the fi·', :-....." "'_ial 16'1 'PLIO'" lit
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the nunlber oC scientist!; is dedinin&-whetber in biotechnology or crop breedin&- This must not be allowed 10 continue,- be said. !-Ie, therefore. called for investment!; in research infrastructure. particularly in West and Ce:ntral Afric:a. a re:Aion described as rich In
resources. HeSlld thecollaboration with the university would be of irnmeMe benefit to Nigeria. in particular. and Africa in &eneral. TIIP Vke-Chaocdlor 0( LheUI.Prof lsaac~ saki partnership was on the top of Ute aAenda oC the un i~rsity, stre!l8in& that joi nt efforts ,,;th UTA would impro\"e the welfare. nutrition. health and income of the Ni&erian po)>ulalion, as weJl as contribut!; to the food .securityoftheoontinent. Accordin&tohim.Afric:a will))l:' truly independml only when it is food aecure, eddill~ thai tlle university is well placed to work with IITA. ~I believe that IITA
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Workers support NYSC job creation drive T
givinganewimpdustothe skill and enllep~neuria.1 capacity buiJdin& agenda of the NVSC, the workenr pointed out that additional SUI)ports was required to tackietheAJOWinAProbletrul of corps mt':mbers' under· utilisation, paucityoffunds, poor tJai.njn& racilities amon&otherclWlen&t'!l. -..1.... Iclop said, lite administration is boldly .... ":n.. n .. t "';"" ..... ~........""""""O the and. m~1"OI' ~ .~ta1 rtten t expansion &nmted sustaina bili ty U1 .... nca. t he NYSC by BOYnTIntell1 lmptO\"td crop \Ult'lie5 to start a new phase of from IITA ha\"e nca!I e'1llted skill &CCluisition that would productivity III Je."tf1l1 enable corps members to Alrican cou.ntnes with is there for Wi, just as become RI( empkJyed afte!" Cameroon di Ullin& the University Collese their service. This implits C8SS1'"I )"lftds. and tn~eria Hospital is for the College Lhal the mission is no beromiDA the WOf""I"~ top of Medicine. There must longer to seek white collar p .• be a bri~e between UlI and jobs which has been tht! producer 01 the Importantly. DJ)np IITA. .. and we are ready to trend amon, youths. hwnan tpacity work with you." he SIIid. "1lle NYSC haJ V'eIIlure said Wilhit!; revisedstratesY. .clf~pme:nlinitiatives centres, where \"BOOm remained a ID.ljo $Sut! the statemenl said UTA into huge so6o--eccmomic products, includin& fann that needed 10 be adled ror Africa to rt1li>ltain intended to focUll on benefit!; forlhfo coun.lry. produce. livestock feeds. sustamable ~OPI It'nt. increasin& rexa.n:h quality, Cotnmending lht! textile products, printin& "When you '0 to capacity buildin& and rnm=t.or-General, 8riA· press, amoDA othen are ~ African ~n~~==,__~pa~rt:n~'~==h~;P<~__________~Gen~_.__O~"~",~Affi __.. ~__'_o_,__:~=",::":I~~~;:"~u>o::~~::::
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Coco-Cola Niguia limitN, Jfr. Kelvin 801oguni of Industn'al Dr. Lolu Ojo; and OIainnan, Uadership Newspapu, Mr. Som Distinguished l.«tUI"'f! &ries in lAgos ...on Thursday. I'hofo: &gun Bakare.
ABOUR unions within Lht! National YOUOI St!rvice Cot-pa; have calJed for Federal Government's 5Upport. particularly in Ute fundin&. 0( the NYSC management's initiatives lJI.~eted at mURIn, .nd empD'Wl!nn, corps members. Making the appeal •In AUUJI ....... on ......_..1.. Il1C3UGy. tht! ch.airm~ of thf> two labour UDIOIl5 ill the ~...-Ilo the s.~ " oSefnio, .. N ..........,.; and the Amalpmated Union of Public ServiOt! Corponations, Cjvil Service Techn.M:al ud Recreational Sen"icr EmpJoyers messrs Allo)"SiU!lldop and Kinpley lzah. respectively, saki the support would help in tnnsIatin& the ODAoin& llrill acquisition and other
centres need to be fully equipped to &f3pple with the challenge of trainin& corps members. Critical u thi.8 endeavour is and &i\"en its value--addin& and life trans(onninA focus. it will not be out of place to import some ideas into the country." On his pan. b.ah said. .. , . the, ,I -In •UWlcase reore,l,de Father Son&hai Centn! in Port-N-, Repub"of rn; Benin should be,. ~I,icated In every geo.po ItlO zone in Nigeria to provide all inclusive centres to train corps members and other interested youth! who are out there but ha\'e nOlhinA to eke oula Iivin&. -In the words of the director""lf!oeraI, a nobk! concept of this nature requires reasonably DlU'Ih-e financial ouOay. Integrated settlement!; would have to be created which woukl St!rve as centres of excellence where
their theoretical knowledge with prat..'tk:e. ibat is why we are. urPDA the Feden.l Cmvnment to suppon the imp~ funding of the NYSC scheme to enable the mana&emenl totra.n!llale it!; dreamofmakin&ouryouth!i not only employable but abo become emp~rs of labour ThisinHiam"ewould haw: ~n, benefit!; DOt just ror country the corpsinmembers but our tenus of the job creatton potential", he added. As a demonstration of £aith, the unioll5 said they would show their commitment to the skill acquisition programmes by mobilisi",theirrnemberslo acbie\-e the mana&emenl's drive tOWlllrd youth empowermeoL 1bey Aid this would help the NYSC employees to impfO\"e their skills and mana&erial competeDt'es to sustnin the youth emplO)'ment prvp-ammes ::~:::me::m=be::~:wo::u='d::bKk::~_;~"~t~he~~=:~~u..d=::=C-____
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