Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has said that organic chemistry has been the driving force for drugs and other pharmaceutical discovery.
Adeyeye made this disclosure at the 12th Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON) mandatory continuing programme development held in Abuja, on Wednesday, with focus on synergistic relationship between chemistry and pharmacy, and its impact on advancement in drugs development in Nigeria.
She said that chemistry has been an integral part of pharmacy, and its importance has not diminished especially as it relates to pharmaceutical discovery and development.
ICCON Registrar, Jwalshik Wilford, said in his remarks that the institute will build a research development centre in Abuja, to change the narrative in the development of chemical research in Nigeria and also reduce amount of capital spent on transformation to require these services outside the shores.
Wilford said the institute is currently developing a regulatory framework that would aid the smooth operation of the institute. That the institute will soon gazette its first set of regulations.
He said: “The primary aim of the amendment is to provide more regulatory powers to the institute and to create more benefits for the Nigerian Chemists.”
Meanwhile, its former President, Abdullahi Auduzuru, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, to assent the bill, as it will help the institution in regulating its members and also improve its level of productivity.