Nigeria, Oct. 30 -- Nigeria's dependence on imported ingredients to produce medicines could threaten the country's medicine security, particularly during global supply disruptions.

This was a major concern raised by stakeholders at a meeting on "Accelerating the shift to domestic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) production for priority essential medicines in Nigeria," organised by Nigeria Health Watch in partnership with the World Bank Group in Abuja on Friday.

Speaking at the meeting, Olumide Okunola of the World Bank Group said Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers rely heavily on imported APIs, leaving the country vulnerable to disruptions in international supply chains.

APIs are the substances in medicines that produce thei...