Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has admitted that the country has performed abysmally in producing enough vaccines to tackle pests destroying livestock.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Bello, who spoke while inaugurating Project Delivery Team for the commercialisation of vaccine production facility of National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), yesterday in Abuja, said the last vaccine (rinderpest) which was produced did not comply with manufacturing practices.
He said: “It is disheartening to note that despite inherent huge potential in the vaccine production capacity, the production has been abysmally low. I am aware that previous management of NVRI had tried to set up a vaccine company in the past to ameliorate the situation but the process was not only slow and frustrating but was not carried to a successful completion.
“I commend the current management of the Institute in reinvigorating the commercialisation process of the vaccine production facility by incorporating a company called Vom Biological Products Limited.”
Bello, who gave the committee members one month to brainstorm and come up with solutions, emphasise that the commercialisation of NVRI vaccine production facility is in tandem with the Federal Government’s Livestock Transformation Agenda and economic diversification.
Additionally, he urged them to “draw up transaction proposal; employ a concessioner to look at the terms of reference and come up with a post acquisition plan to monitor the agreement to the institute; Identify prospective investors.”
Meanwhile, representative of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Agency (ICRC), Busari Olusa, assured government that his committee will speed up the process devoid of any delay but in accordance with due process.