Tinubu signs executive order granting 2-year waivers for imported pharmaceutical inputs, others

Maureen Aguta

President Bola Tinubu has signed Executive Order which introduces zero tariffs, excise duties and VAT on specified machinery, equipment and raw materials, aiming to reduce production costs and enhance local manufacturers’ competitiveness.

Specified items include Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), excipients, other essential raw materials required for manufacturing of crucial health products like drugs, syringes and needles, Long-lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and Rapid Diagnostic Kits, among others.

The Order also provides for establishing market shaping mechanisms such as framework contracts and volume guarantees, to encourage local manufacturers.

According to the Minister of Health, Ali Pate, the order mandates collaboration among the Ministers of health, finance, as well as industry, trade and investment, to develop a harmonised implementation framework — expediting regulatory approvals and reducing bottlenecks.

Pate said agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) “will ensure swift implementation, with special waivers and exemptions effective for two years”.