Janet Ogundepo
Over-dependence on the importation of laboratory equipment and lack of government support, the Society of Testing Laboratory Analysts of Nigeria, said is affecting the sector negatively
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the sixth annual Conference of Public Analysts, themed, ‘Optimising Laboratory Analytics and Quality Assurance in the Present Economy, the president of SoTLAN and Chairman of the Defunct 6th Governing Council of the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria Council, Professor Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, highlighted the significant events of the past year, including the government’s withdrawal of funding from professional agencies and the dissolution of the Governing Council.
Prof Ogunmoyela
He said the government’s directive and the removal of fuel and electricity subsidies prevented the usual interim presidential committee from functioning optimally.
IPAN is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Health and was established by the IPAN Act CAP.I16 LFN 2004 to train, examine, register public analysts and regulate their practice, while SoTLAN is the professional arm and non-governmental association of Public Analysts in Nigeria.
PUNCH Healthwise earlier reported on the association’s plea to the Federal Government to reconstitute IPAN’s governing council and pay off the salary arrears of affected staff without further delay.
In June 2023, the President, Bola Tinubu dissolved the governing boards of all Federal Government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies.
However, in January 2024, Tinubu restored funding for 13 national health regulators including IPAN that were initially defunded in the 2024 budget.
Further speaking, Ogunmoyela noted that despite the challenges, the association has been able to manage the uncertainties, adding that the situation created the need to chart a clearer future in the event of such an occurrence.
He thanked the government for restoring the funding of regulatory professional bodies in the health sector, highlighting the importance of supporting the already fragile sector to function effectively, seamlessly and without disruption.
The SoTLAN president further called for the support of the government to break the choking yoke of under-investment in the analytical laboratory sector nationwide.
“We are determined to advocate, solicit, and relate with the government for access to the multi-billion naira support needed to revitalise our professional sector in the overall interest of the environment and health of the nation. As we have always noted, the long-term benefits to the nation in terms of self-reliance and stoppage of capital flight in this sector will be enormous,” Ogunmoyela added.
He lamented that the dependence on importation of laboratory equipment was no longer sustainable.
“For too long we have depended so much on the importation of laboratory equipment and practically everything. We have to begin to think inwards. We have to begin to look at how we can reduce the level of capital flight. Maintenance is a major issue and because of the lack of maintenance, many laboratory equipment rot away so we want to start by looking at optimising laboratory analytics and quality assurance and that is the theme of this year’s conference.
“The whole idea is to ensure that we begin to look at how we can sharpen ourselves, develop and build competencies that will help to further drive laboratory analytical techniques and begin to look at a much more robust future, especially for our young and upcoming analysts,” the don said.
He further emphasised that laboratory testing was essential for ensuring a healthy environment and safeguarding public health.
Ogunmoyela, who also serves as the President of the Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative, decried the financial constraints faced by public analysts in importing standard testing kits.
He noted that this had led to the proliferation of non-public analysts importing substandard products.
“In many cases, they will bring in analytical grade reagents and people just bring in something that does not matter. We need to begin to look at how they trade and empower our people to not only own the lab but ensure that they have a hand in the importation of laboratory chemicals,” the don said.
The professor of Food Science and Technology further stated that many IPAN-certified and accredited labs could compete globally and urged people in need of laboratory test kits to buy them from accredited suppliers to curb the proliferation of fakes in the country.
He added that in line with the conference’s theme, students and practitioners from the industry and independent laboratory owners were invited to ensure the goal was achieved.
The conference celebrated notable international observances, including World Laboratory Day, World Environment Day, and World Food Safety Day, emphasising the critical role of public analysts in addressing environmental and food safety challenges.
As part of the conference activities, 16 new Fellows were inducted, recognising their significant contributions to the profession.
Ogunmoyela also encouraged eligible members to apply for Fellowships to further their professional development.
The SoTLAN president expressed gratitude for the support received from members and corporate sponsors despite economic challenges.
The keynote speaker, a Fellow of the Institute and former Secretary of the International Association of Independent Laboratories, Dr Mary-Anne Adeeko, emphasised the need for a trusted lab report using standardised tests to determine chemical and physical feature materials and products for human consumption and the environment.
She stated “The trusted lab report gives confidence and reliability to customers. The trusted lab report breaks the technical barriers of international trade permanently. It maintains the sustainable level of exports and makes testing business profitable with high return on investment.”
Adeeko also highlighted the importance of analytics and explained that it helps businesses to perform efficiently, maximise profits and make more strategic and guided decisions.
The quality assurance and quality system management expert further noted that although the laboratory equipment and maintenance were expensive to purchase, install and maintain, the investment, in the long run, gave credibility to the lab and helped the business to grow.
The public analyst further mentioned that aside from the challenges of poor return on investments, high costs of analysis, and high equipment and maintenance costs, labs in Nigeria lacked government support.
She noted that this led to the inability of private labs to compete with advanced technology and meet the quality control requirements for foreign customers.
“So in pursuance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we need to update the material quality policy to facilitate and support the standards methodology and accreditation. All these are requirements for the credibility of the scientific parameters because they deal with the system that produces the scientific parameters.
“The National Quality Assurance Infrastructure was set up with the funding from the UN to review the quality infrastructure available and then it was a new suggestion to the National Quality Assurance Institute. It was a new suggestion to fix the national quality issues. I’m happy to say that we were part of this national quality infrastructure process,” the analyst said.
Adeeko further urged the analysts to study and understand the provisions of the Nigerian National Quality policy and implement the requirements for efficiency and effectiveness.
The ILDA’s former secretary also encouraged the participants to think internationally and act nationally, and also called for the training of young analysts on laboratory technology, assembling and maintenance as measures to reduce the cost of laboratory maintenance, thus, leading to job creation and increased revenues.
Adeeko urged SoTLAN to collaborate with stakeholders, equipment suppliers and the laboratories to increase team activities.
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