Earlyface

Come Thursday, another milestone achievement will be recorded under the belt of the current administration as President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to commission the multi-million Naira complex of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NIPRD, Idu Industrial Layout, Abuja.
The complex, which cost a whopping N712.45 million houses 12 laboratories and is expected to provide services for various research works.
It is also open to both government and private organizations.
The NIPRD Director-General, Prof. Karniyus Gamaniel, made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja during a pre-inaugural press conference.
Prof. Gamaniel also revealed that over 500 herbal medicines are imported into the country, a development he said the agency finds unacceptable.
He said, “When we discovered that importation of drugs was becoming unacceptable, we said, “No, we have to turn around the herbal industry into what Nollywood has done to the film industry. Now, what is NIPRD doing regarding research for herbal medicines?
“We have two platforms for herbal medicines. The first platform is that you are trying to manufacture product which is done anywhere. And, you want to list that or register it with NAFDAC and NAFDAC says we are not sure of the safety; we are not sure of what you are claiming in terms of efficacy there in the product. That prompted our collaboration with NAFDAC and MOU was signed with NAFDAC”, he said.