About Us
Dr Kofi Nsiah-Poku
Welcome Speech by Dr Kofi Nsiah-Poku – Ground Breaking Ceremony April 18, 2023
His Excellency, The President of Federal Republic of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo, Excellency Irchad Razaaly the Ambassador of European Union, Honourable Ministers of Health, Finance, Education, Industries, traditional leaders present, as the custodians of the cultures, heritage and traditions of our communities, Excellencies the ambassadors European counties, USA and all ambassadors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentleman.
It is an honour to be welcome all of you this morning to mark the ground-breaking ceremony of this timely project, DEK Vaccines Limited. A multiple vaccines manufacturing factory in Ghana.
Today we are thankful to Almighty that COVID 19 pandemic is over. World had learned many lesions from COVID pandemic, it was an eye opener to African Leaders, where His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo expressed his vision that Africans cannot depend more on imported vaccines. There must be an African Solution for an African Problem.
His Excellency, today we are here it is because of your vision and initiative to develop Presidential Vaccines Manufacturing Committee, who have worked hard to bring technical expertise to develop the business plan for vaccines manufacturing in Ghana. Once proven that Ghana is the most appropriate country in West Africa to have vaccines manufacturing factory, VMC invited private sector to join hands to build the mega project to manufacture vaccines in Ghana. A Consortium of three leading pharmaceutical companies of Ghana was announced and the name DEK was chosen by taking first letter of each company name D for Danadams Pharmaceuticals, E for Ernest Chemists and K for Kinapharma Limited. but during the business development due to unavoidable circumstances other two partners of Kinapharma could not move along with the project. Today Kinapharam Limited is standing to make His Excellency vision into reality.
Your Excellency DEK Vaccines Limited is a 122.6 Million USD investment to manufacture 600 million doses of various vaccines.
Vaccines manufacturing factory is technology and capital intense project. World Health Organization has declared a need for the preparedness for next pandemic, this means that DEK Vaccines Limited should keep spare capacity for the requirement of vaccines in case World face another pandemic. But someone has to pay to build the spare capacity.
We mark this occasion to commend His Excellency for his vision to pass the National Vaccines Institute Law in the constitution of Ghana. This has exhibited a lot of confidence in our investors and shown the practical approach of leaders of Ghana to save African children from infectious diseases
We mark this occasion to commend Honorable Minister of Finance for giving off take guarantee to procure the vaccines from DEK once DEK start manufacturing vaccines of WHO quality standards.
We mark this occasion to commend Chief Executive Officer of FDA for achieving WHO-QCL (Quality Certified Laboratory) and to register first ever R21 Malaria Vaccines, which is the evidence of partnership of DEK and Serum Institute of India in the production of vaccines in Africa.
We mark this occasion to commend European Countries who offered their tax payer money to give us Grant of 5million Euros through European Investment Bank to support the vaccines manufacturing in Ghana.
This ground-breaking – a much awaited event for the largest single manufacturing factory of vaccines in Africa is also a fresh example of long and productive Public support to the private sector.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and I am sure Your Excellency today you are a happy man to witness the start of vaccines manufacturing factory in Africa. today I want to address our good people of Ghana who may think that after 2 years of announcement of vaccines manufacturing, we are at ground breaking level. My fellow Ghanaians DEK Vaccines Project is 122.6 million USD, which is equal to 1.59 billion Ghana Cedis investment. Ghana having population of 32million it was very hard to digest for foreign investors to convince to bring money for vaccines manufacturing in Ghana.
On this happy occasion, I sign off by assuring my fellow Ghanaians that Ghana Government and DEK feel proud to announce that we in line with investors to complete the project by end 2024 to assure the production of first commercial vaccine by 2025.
Thank you, and my very warm welcome to all who are present at the Site of DEK Vaccines Limited and those all who are attending this ceremony online and all African leaders.
