By Onwa Ekor, Calabar
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, says the facilities in the state pharmaceutical company , otherwise known as Calapharm, are all in place, awaiting inspection by the relevant authorities.
Otu stated this during an inspection visit to the company site at the Industrial centre situated along President Goodluck Jonathan’s bypass in Calabar, the Cross River capital. 
“We have one of the best pharmaceutical companies in West Africa, the laboratory is also one of the best in Nigeria and all the facilities are in place, we are just waiting for NAFDAC for an inspection and then production will start here, so, we are looking at September.
“This is kudos to former governor, Senator Ben Ayade, who had that vision and put this in place because today, if you want to put this, the cost will be high due to inflation.
“It is a top class company and we are looking at it coming into fruition very soon,” the governor assured.
Giving insights on more benefits of the company to the health sector, Otu remarked that it will add life into the health insurance being put in place in the state.
He also added that it remains the desire of his administration to ensure that consumables that would be needed both in dispensing and preventive, are produced by the company.
Continuing, the governor stressed on the need for the company to check the rate of unemployment among youths in the state.
“It will do a lot to check unemployment because the backward linkage is massive, so by the time they start production fully, this place will be a beehive of activities, not to talk of going down the chain.
“Some of the things that they are going to use here, in terms of the byproducts coming in as materials, will be produced here.
“By the time NAFDAC come here and go, we will know the proper ecosystem that befits here,” Otu said.
Technical Director, Calapharm, Pharmacist Odunlami Ibidapo, disclosed that the company is of standard, with state of the arts facilities and one of the best in the world.
According to Ibidapo, Calapharm would be producing tablets, capsules, liquids in terms of syrups, suspensions, mixtures, creams and ointments.
“We also would be having steroids, producing nasal drops, eye drops, ear drops, so you can see that we have a wide range of products and each would be of benefit to the community, state and society at large.
“If NAFDAC is here before September, we will start before then, we have made a lot of investment and all will come out with success and truly we are going to have products that are far cheaper than what we have in Lagos around this place,” Ibidapo said.
