Nigeria has secured $5.5 billion in private sector investment to support 22 new large-scale health sector manufacturing projects under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
As the country welcomes this influx of investment, focus has intensified on building a world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce.
Following Nigeria’s recent success in securing €1 billion from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and an additional $1 billion from AfreximBank to drive localisation within the health sector value chain, the government has signed a landmark agreement with the Empower School of Health, Geneva. This partnership will establish Empower Academy Nigeria — Africa’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturing training institute.
The Academy will specialise in knowledge transfer to support the local production of pharmaceutical excipients, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and advanced dosage forms, including inhalers, extended-release medications, and dermatological patches.
Empower Academy Nigeria will promote international best practice in areas such as process engineering, regulatory compliance, quality control, and environmental monitoring.
With the capacity to train and upskill up to 2,000 Nigerian professionals annually, the Academy will be equipped with cutting-edge facilities and state-of-the-art technology.
Certification courses will be offered in partnership with leading institutions such as Africa CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the International Pharmaceutical Federation, among others.
This landmark development is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry and boosting self-sufficiency in health sector manufacturing.
