Governor Peter Mbah on Thursday inaugurated Anchorage Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a multibillion-naira pharmaceutical company in Trans-Ekulu, Enugu.

The company is a private sector investment aimed at boosting local drug manufacturing, creating jobs, and strengthening healthcare delivery in the country.

Speaking at the event, Mr Mbah said the facility represented more than a pharmaceutical business, describing it as an investment in public health, economic growth and the future of young people in the state.

The governor congratulated the company’s founder, board and management, noting that establishing a manufacturing enterprise required substantial commitment and confidence in the state’s economic prospects.

He said the facility would provide employment opportunities, offer internship placements and facilitate skills transfer while supporting healthcare delivery across Enugu.

Mr Mbah disclosed that the government would explore commercial partnerships with the company to supply medicines to its central medical stores and primary healthcare facilities. 

The governor disclosed that the state was building 260 Type-2 primary healthcare centres, adding that the facilities would require reliable supplies of essential medicines to function effectively.

“We are interested in made-in-Enugu, and that’s what you’re doing here,” he said, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to partnering with private enterprises beyond providing an enabling environment.

Mr Mbah added that private capital investments remained central to the state’s economic growth strategy, restating the need to retain skilled young people by creating opportunities for them to build their careers in Enugu.

The chairman of the company’s board of directors, Allison Madueke, commended Mr Mbah for creating an investment-friendly environment in the state. He described Anchorage as a legacy project conceived to generate employment, develop local talent and contribute to economic development.

Mr Madueke said the company was the practical expression of his longstanding conviction that private enterprise could create jobs, broaden economic opportunities and improve prosperity. The former chief of the naval staff said the company would prioritise product quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance and sound corporate governance.

The ex-military administrator in Anambra acknowledged the role of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in safeguarding public health.

Mr Madueke expressed confidence that Anchorage would contribute to the development of Enugu, the South-East, and Nigeria. He thanked Mr Mbah for inaugurating the facility and building resilient, business-friendly infrastructure.

The company’s managing director, Chima Madueke, said the company was founded on quality and wellness, encapsulated in its slogan, ‘Anchored in Quality, Committed to Wellness’. According to him, the company had obtained the necessary approvals and clearances from NAFDAC and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, reaffirming its commitment to quality assurance.

He added that Anchorage would help tackle fake and substandard medicines in Nigeria, adding that it was open to direct supplies to hospitals, healthcare institutions and pharmacies.

(NAN)