The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has expressed his administration’s support for an Egyptian pharmaceutical company, Utopia, to establish a drug manufacturing plant in the state as part of efforts to boost industrialisation, create jobs and strengthen the healthcare sector.
Governor Alex Otti gave the assurance while receiving a delegation led by Eze Chibuzor Chinyere and the company’s representative, Kamel Muhamed, from the Egypt-based pharmaceutical company Utopia at his country home in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
The governor described the proposed investment as a major boost to Abia’s industrialisation drive, stressing that local manufacturing would create employment opportunities, stimulate economic activities, improve the state’s Gross Domestic Product and facilitate technology transfer.
He assured the investors of his administration’s full support in establishing the manufacturing plant, with the long-term goal of serving Nigeria and exporting pharmaceutical products across West Africa.
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Governor Otti advised the company to consider the Ukwa axis as the preferred location for the project, citing its abundant natural gas resources, reliable electricity supply from Geometric Power and the availability of land suitable for industrial development. He also directed the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, to work closely with the investors to facilitate the project and provide the necessary government support.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Apostle Chinyere, said he encouraged the Egyptian firm to invest in Abia because of the state’s improving healthcare system under Governor Otti’s administration. He added that the company would also introduce its anti-malaria products through a pilot programme in the state.
Speaking on behalf of Utopia, Muhamed said the company was seeking a partnership with the Abia State Government to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant that would serve Nigeria and the wider West African market.
He noted that the company already operates under an existing Memorandum of Understanding between Egypt and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on drug registration and has successfully executed similar projects in Tanzania and other African countries.
He expressed confidence that the Abia project would position Nigeria as a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing and advanced drug technology.
