The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, has expressed that the recently commissioned Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Laboratory facility built and funded by MEDAFRICA Foundation at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, will have enormous impact and ensure UNILAG’s collaboration with key players in pharmaceutical industry.

“It is the first GMP manufacturing site to be domiciled within a university in Nigeria and West Africa. And it is only the third on the African continent. The impact of this lab is enormous as it will facilitate a direct route for novel drug development in the industry en route the Nigerian populace,” she said.

Prof Ogunsola stated this on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at the commissioning of the GMP laboratory facility being the first in Subsaharan Africa.

In her statement, the facility was worth more than $450,000 in value, appreciating the Founder of the foundation, Mr. Martin L. Jeiven. She noted that the GMP project would not have seen the light of day without the collaborative efforts of the foundation and the Acting Head of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, UNILAG, Dr. Margaret Ilomuanya, among other key actors.

Expressing delight that the lab was installed at the varsity, the VC said the lab will facilitate research on food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products, furthering that the commissioning signified potential collaboration between the university, academia and organizations in the pharmaceutical industry.

She stated that educational researchers, drug companies, and regulatory agencies can use the lab facility for clinical investigations and product development.

“Clinical trial drug candidates can be produced in this state-of-the-art facility for clinical trials in Africa. The University of Lagos can therefore become a hub for educational research, manufacturing industry, and regulatory agencies. The facility was built to develop novel freeze-dried vaginal inserts for HIV/STI prevention – and when achieved, it will be the first time this will be happening on the continent,” she said.

At the high-profile event attended by senior academics from the University of Lagos and top executives of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) among other industry stakeholders, Ogunsola appreciated Dr. Margaret Ilomuanya, for partnering with Marty Jeiven to get the GMP facility established at UNILAG.