Pharmexcil in association with Sankil Pharmaceuticals Ltd is scheduled to open the much awaited warehousing facility in Nigeria soon.

According to Raghuveer Kini, executive director of Pharmaexcil, already 40 Indian pharmaceutical companies have shown interest in utilising the warehousing facility in Nigeria which will be commenced in the next 2 to 3 months.

Earlier, the council took the decision to associate with Sankil Pharma during an interactive meeting held in Mumbai last month. Sankil Pharma which is a local pharmaceutical business agency having its presence in Nigeria  for the past 22 years will help assist Pharmexcil to establish the warehousing facility in the country. This company also has vast experience of working with Indian pharma players who are members of the Pharmaceutical Promotion Council of India.

The proposed premises where the warehousing facility is to be commenced has already been approved by NAFDAC and it is well suited for storing APIs and chemicals, informed Kini.

The council is also expecting similar approval from NAFDAC to even store the pharmaceutical formulations or any other pharma related material at the facility.

According to the council, already 40 Indian companies have shown interested to utilise the facility. Under the MAI scheme, government of India is also willing to give financial assistance for the Indian pharma companies willing to take storage space at the facility. Under this scheme, the rentals for each company will cost less than 50 per cent than the market rate, informed Kini.

As per the agreement reached with the Council, Sankil Pharma will act as a custodian of the goods stored in the warehousing facility.  The company will assist the members  in all aspects and will arrange for releasing the consignments from customs, store in the warehouse, and dispatch to the customers as per instructions of the concerned companies using the facility.

Additional facilities like cold storage and extra space will also be take care by Sankil Pharma and the company will also assist the members in getting their products registered with NAFDAC, if required.

“The situation in Nigeria has improved a lot compared to 15-20 years back and there is no need to worry about robberies/thefts etc.  In any case, the facility is insured against thefts,” informed Sankil Pharma.