By Folasade Akpan

The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) says its wide-ranging collaborations are strengthening research, enhancing innovation, and unlocking new opportunities across the pharmaceutical value chain.

NIPRD’s Director-General, Dr Obi Adigwe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the institute had engaged in more than 100 collaborations with local and international partners over the past six years.

“From training researchers from Burkina Faso in our laboratories to forging active partnerships with institutions in Egypt, Japan, South Sudan, and South Africa, NIPRD has become one of Nigeria’s most collaborative health agencies,” he said.

He revealed that the institute recently entered into a high-impact partnership with SPARK Global, a Stanford-founded innovation platform, to accelerate the translation of local research into commercially viable products.

“This collaboration will bring the SPARK Africa conference to Abuja in February 2026.

“It will feature a boot camp for up to 100 African scientists, offering mentorship, access to global funding networks, and pathways to patents and clinical trials,” Adigwe stated.

According to him, SPARK’s model has a success rate of more than 50 per cent, with participating scientists either launching successful start-ups or advancing to clinical trials within two years.

Adigwe noted that such strategic collaborations were central to achieving the objectives of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), of which NIPRD was not only a member but also a core implementing partner.

He emphasised that the agency’s work in plant-based drug development aligned with global best practices, citing China’s success with Artemisia annua, which led to the widespread adoption of Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).

“We have developed about 20 products from Nigerian indigenous plants.

“During COVID-19, we were the first globally to take a plant-based Nigerian formulation through the early stages of clinical trials,” he added.

Adigwe stressed that a sustainable healthcare value chain must be anchored on contextual research and innovation.

He explained that NIPRD’s efforts went beyond research to include policy advocacy and direct support for local pharmaceutical manufacturing.

He also highlighted a landmark collaboration with AfreximBank, through which NIPRD secured funding to establish an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) training facility, the first of its kind in West Africa.

“Through this facility, we have trained personnel from both Nigeria and other countries and procured advanced manufacturing equipment.

“This bold step positions Nigeria to significantly reduce its reliance on imported APIs,” he said.

Adigwe further noted that the initiative had already spurred private-sector investment, with a major Nigerian pharmaceutical company now establishing a 30–50 million dollar API plant in Ogun State, the first of its scale in Africa.

“We opened the door, and now others are following suit. That’s how impactful and catalytic our work has become,” he said.

According to him, NIPRD’s research is aimed not only at improving health outcomes but also at creating jobs, enabling technology transfer, and generating national revenue. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru