Minister unveils locally-made drugs for anti-ageing, anti-sickling, two others
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has unveiled four drugs made by the Nigerian National Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNNMDA).
The drugs were Namdune (200mg) meant for Anti-ageing, Namdasan (200mg) for anti-sickling, Aberecin (200mg) for anti-diabetes and Nanobere (50kg).
The minister, who lauded the efforts of the agency for carrying out research to produce drugs, revealed the moves of the federal government to establish funds for research and development.
“So, if we have a research and development fund, most of these things are going to be addressed. That is on one hand. When I came in as a minister, I insisted that my key areas of research and development are to commercialize what we have on the shelves, the developments, and the research we have on the shelf.
“This is the kind of innovation, the kind of science we are talking about in science and tech and this is why our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu said that science remains the key to nation building,” he said.
The agency’s director, General Martins Emeje, appreciated the federal government’s plans to establish a research and development fund, urging the federal government to ensure the application of proposals before researchers can access the fund.
“I am happy that this government is talking about research funds. In my opinion, when the government launches it, they should put money there and not give it to anybody.
“Let all of us who are scientists, lecturers in the university, and research institutes in this country write a competitive proposal to that research fund. Who wins to do research? That is how it is done,” he said.
He described the unveiled four products as natural harping that it expresses the ingenuity of researchers in the agency.
“The products are for upper respiratory injections, cough, catarrh, and you know many of them are on viral aetiology that mean they go on their own, but in most cases, our people go get antibiotics
“There are things that nature has already produced. Nature is the best laboratory in the world, but you see that pride does not allow people who have gone to school to go and understudy nature,” he said.
