A technology startup, Symmex Smart Workings Limited, has presented its locally designed Huraflow-MES platform to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. The firm said its platform is an upgrade for regulatory oversight, patient safety, and industrial efficiency across the pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors.
The company, invited by NAFDAC to its operational headquarters on 10 April, showcased the Manufacturing Execution System as part of a proposed collaboration aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem.
In an interview, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Symmex, Olumide Awoyemi, said the company developed Huraflow-MES to bridge a long-standing gap in the digitisation of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, particularly in pharmaceuticals where operations remain largely manual and paper-driven.
“It remains difficult for people to genuinely do things, even though they know that it is painful using manual processes. Adopting the digital system is still not a walk in the park,” Awoyemi said.
He explained that Huraflow-MES integrates the core elements of manufacturing, materials, machines, manpower, and methods, into a unified digital interface, enabling real-time monitoring, traceability, and compliance.
Awoyemi said the solution directly addresses the limitations faced by regulators like NAFDAC, whose capacity often lags behind the rapid expansion of the industries they oversee.
“The sector they are supposed to regulate grows faster than they can grow as an institution, in terms of manpower and resources,” the Symmex founder remarked.
He added that the platform introduces a remote inspection model that allows regulators to access electronic records ahead of on-site visits, improving efficiency and targeting high-risk areas.
“So, what this system does is, based on agreement, get them access to electronic records… They can now go on-site to places where there are actual issues, not wait until they go on-site to see problems,” Awoyemi said.
The founder also noted that the platform enhances patient safety through tamper-evident audit trails and supports faster product recalls and investigations.
“With a digital and electronic system, you can naturally start an investigation and get to the pain point in three, four hours… you can pull out granular information on that batch,” he said.
Awoyemi stressed that beyond improving compliance and efficiency, Symmex is positioning itself as the only technology company building a comprehensive, end-to-end digital infrastructure for the life sciences sector.
“We are the only tech company that is building an end-to-end tech stack for the life science sector,” he claimed.
He disclosed that the company is also building ONÍSÈGÙN AI, a pharmaceutical development platform designed to reduce the time and cost required to formulate drugs locally with artificial intelligence.
“As of today, most of our manufacturers… license formulations from India, from China, from Europe… but with the current trend in AI, there are ways that you can simulate the formulation ahead,” he said.
Awoyemi added that the system can incorporate Nigeria’s climatic realities, such as high humidity, into drug formulation processes to improve product stability and shelf life.
He noted that industry players have shown strong interest in the solution but are awaiting regulatory clarity from NAFDAC before full adoption.
“We have not come to sell the product today. We have come to showcase a solution that can also help their own mission,” he said.
Additionally, Chief Technology Officer of Symmex, Oduwole Oluwasegun, said the platform simplifies operations for manufacturers while strengthening regulatory processes.
“Huraflow is a solution that makes the lives of manufacturers easier… and from the regulatory perspective, it helps them to work and assess every manufacturer’s document and processes… in real time and remotely before on-site inspection,” he said.
He added that the system reduces dependence on paper-based documentation and improves operational efficiency across manufacturing processes.
The company said it plans further engagements with the Director-General of NAFDAC as it seeks regulatory alignment to drive adoption of the platform across Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and FMCG industries.
