Management teams from Symmex Smart Workings Limited have engaged with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) following an invitation to demonstrate a technology platform aimed at transforming pharmaceutical manufacturing in Nigeria. The Huraflow-MES innovation is Nigeria's first indigenous, GMP-compliant Manufacturing Execution System, now under formal regulatory observation by NAFDAC to strengthen the country's pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem.
Presentation to NAFDAC Officials
After presenting a demo of the solution to NAFDAC officials at the Lagos office, founder Olumide Awoyemi, a pharmacist and entrepreneur, stressed the need for Nigeria's pharmaceutical and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturing sectors to adopt digital transformation through his startup for data integration across production processes. He noted that the visit aimed to secure the agency's endorsement for the technology and encourage other manufacturing agencies under NAFDAC's purview to adopt it.
"Since we launched this technology, feedback from our lead companies indicated concerns about NAFDAC's disposition. If they adopt it, it would become the basis for audits when the agency checks their records," Awoyemi said.
Addressing Inefficiencies in Manufacturing
Awoyemi explained that the technology, launched in September last year, was created to digitize batch process manufacturing across the pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors, eliminating inefficiencies inherent in manual operations. "In many indigenous manufacturing companies, including pharmaceutical sectors, processes remain paper-based. Documentation takes a huge toll on time, accuracy, and compliance. We saw this gap and developed HuraFlow, a modular system integrating the four key elements of manufacturing—materials, machines, man, and method—into one digital interface," he said.
The technology aims to modernize production by making real-time data accessible for quality control, compliance tracking, and regulatory inspection.
Inspiration Behind Huraflow-MES
Awoyemi revealed that the inspiration for Huraflow-MES came while he was based in London and repeatedly faced job rejections for lacking familiarity with manufacturing execution systems (MES). "Those experiences led me to realize that such systems hardly exist in Nigeria's pharmaceutical space. So, I decided to build one locally, not just for Nigeria but for Africa," he recounted.
Benefits for Regulatory Oversight
Explaining how the technology works, Awoyemi noted that it could help NAFDAC conduct remote inspections and digital audits, a major advantage for resource-constrained regulators. In cases where the agency needs to recall products causing health issues, the technology can fast-track the process, including detecting errors and conducting investigations within four hours.
Awoyemi recommended that such digital adoption could streamline compliance and product traceability, allowing regulators to detect manufacturing discrepancies faster and respond to safety issues efficiently. "With an electronic system, NAFDAC officers could review live batch records and audit trails before even visiting a site. That improves oversight and supports patient safety," he explained.
