Abuja — The Nigerian Natural Medicines Development Agency (NNMDA) and the Nigerian Institute for Onchocerciasis, Trypanosomiasis and Research (NITR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to locally produce medicines for sleeping sickness and river blindness within one year.
Sleeping sickness, or trypanosomiasis, is transmitted by infected tsetse flies and can cause advanced symptoms, including drowsiness. River blindness, medically known as onchocerciasis, spreads through repeated bites from infected black flies.
Speaking at the MoU signing, NNMDA Director‑General Prof. Martins Emeje explained that NITR will focus on the epidemiology, vectors, and synthesis of the diseases, while NNMDA will convert research findings into dosage forms. “We will be applying nanotechnology, and in the next twelve months, we are going to come out with our own natural product for treatment of sleeping sickness and river blindness,” he said.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Phillip Ndiomu, described the collaboration as a landmark step toward innovation‑driven solutions, stressing that the federal government is committed to translating research into homegrown technologies for public health protection, disease control, and economic value creation.
Dr. Joachim Ajakaiye, Director‑General of NITR, reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to conducting research and building capacity to control and eliminate African trypanosomiasis and onchocerciasis, along with their vectors, across Nigeria.