NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC
SERVING AFRICA’S HEALTH NEEDS
NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC
WE LEARN HOW NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS IS WIDENING ITS OFFERING TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF ITS CUSTOMERS.
SERVING AFRICA’S HEALTH NEEDS PROJECT MANAGED BY: JOHN HOLLIMAN
Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc came into being as the result of the Mazi Sam I. Ohuabunwa led management-buy-out of the 60% equity Pfizer New York’s holding in Pfizer Products Plc. The company had already been operating in Nigeria for 40 years year manufacturing, marketing and distributing pharmaceutical and veterinary products under the Pfizer brand including tablets, capsules, ointments, creams, powders, injectables, and oral liquid forms.
D
uring those first 40 years, the company that would become Neimeth established Nigeria’s first pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, although sadly that was destroyed during the Nigerian civil war. Undeterred, in 1976 the company established the most modern pharmaceutical plant in the West African subregion at Oregun, Lagos.
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Today Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals is focused on manufacturing essential family medicines, having become a trusted name in the area. “We supply to the Nigerian and West African markets,” explains Matthew Azoji, Managing Director and CEO of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals. “Today our vision is to be the most innovative healthcare
provider out of Africa. We want to expand our business to the entire African market.” That innovation is the touchstone of Neimeth’s business. “We put a lot of emphasis on the healthcare needs of Nigeria and Africa as a whole,” Azoji says. “We focus on quality and deliver to the market at affordable prices. Our core focus is innovation and quality medicines and that has won us the trust of the average Nigerian family.”
A FOCUS ON CORE NEEDS
Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals’ innovation isn’t simply a directionless quest for the new, however. Its research and development are heavily targeted on
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the challenges that face its customers in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. “One of the ways we focus on innovation is we pay attention to medicines that meet the core needs of Nigerians and Africans,” Azoji tells us. “We cooperate with universities and research institutions looking for ways to bring the outcomes of their research to market. One illness, sickle cell disorder, is a major problem in Nigeria that affects 6% of the population, many of them children. It’s a major disruption to the normal life of people who are affected. So years back research came in from a Nigerian university that had developed evidence a seed grown in Nigeria can produce materials that will effectively control sickle cell disease. They developed this product and the
Medicine Regulatory Authority and Food Administration and Control has certified that product. It is effectively being used now to control sickle cell disease. That’s just one very good outcome of our innovation.” This isn’t the only area where Neimeth has been making breakthroughs. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition that predominantly affects black patients. “We have locally developed medical formulations for Hypertension, directly addressing the specific needs of the black population. We’re building on that too, aiming to do much more in that area,” Azoji explains. “Whatever challenge you’re facing, you need to find a new and more effective way of dealing with it.”
Matthew Azoji, Managing Director & CEO of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals.
GETTING INVOLVED
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Of course, to maintain this level of innovation and achieve the results Neimeth has achieved, it needs a rich pool of talent to draw on, and Azoji is committed to bringing in that talent. “It’s not an easy task. We try to monitor the job market and see what trends are relevant in the industry, and also create a work environment that enables us to build effective teams,” he says. “We want to make each employee enjoy the work environment while at the same time staying productive and meeting the challenges of the business. The employees are stakeholders, and we’re working to see shareholders and employees all get value from what they put into the company.”
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The staff are driven by Neimeth’s core values, which include “Customer Delight”, “Leadership”, “Innovation”, “Community”, “Integrity”, “Teamwork” and “God Consciousness”. The pharmaceutical manufacturer has set itself the mission to promote healthy, confident living and be the leading healthcare provider out of Africa. But more than that, Neimeth is working to contribute to the communities it works alongside. “Neimeth is driven by our core values. Innovation is one of our core values, alongside teamwork, leadership, and god consciousness,” Azoji explains. “Community is also one of those core values. We invest a lot in supporting the communities in which we work.” Neimeth’s research into the issue of Hypertension, and its efforts to raise awareness of the condition, has been part of that. “Hypertension doesn’t announce itself, being aware of it is the beginning of dealing with it. So we have a campaign to fight against Hypertension, which we’ve called ‘Fight the Good Fight Against Hypertension’, or ‘FTGFAHT’,” Azoji tells us.” It is a project that’s been going for many years. We employ so many professionals to give free blood pressure checks on an ongoing basis in local communities. People receive free treatment for Hypertension and can go to their own clinicians to manage it. It’s an ongoing process providing free checks for blood pressure with support. That’s one of the major projects we have as a community.”
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On top of this, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals supports three medical missions, sending people into communities to give free medical treatment and supporting a number of organisations that run similar projects.
A NEW KIND OF COMPANY
Indeed, driven by Neimeth’s efforts to help and support local communities, the company has expanded its remit, moving away from its position as a pure pharmaceutical company into something far more encompassing.
“We’re now calling ourselves a healthcare company, not just a pharmaceutical company,” Azoji says. “We’re looking at the areas where we can improve the healthcare of individuals such as antiseptics, cleaning, foods like soup, and looking into personal care products. We’re also expanding into the nutrition and healthcare of animals. We’re looking into products that will benefit Africans. We are going to be the leading innovative healthcare provider out of Africa, that is our vision. We want to go from being a good company to a great company.”
“WE HAVE LOCALLY DEVELOPED MEDICAL FORMULATIONS FOR HYPERTENSION, DIRECTLY ADDRESSING THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE BLACK POPULATION.”
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