Industrial Pharmacists Urge Federal Govt To Declare National Emergency On Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

The National Chairman of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP), Pharm. (Sir) Bankole Ezebuilo, has urged the federal government to take urgent and decisive steps to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing, warning that Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines poses a serious threat to national health security.

Ezebuilo made the call at the 29th Annual National Conference and Training of NAIP held in Ilorin, Kwara State, with the theme “Collaboration and Innovation to Build Local Solutions for the Future of Nigeria’s Pharmaceutical Industry.”

Addressing regulators, manufacturers, policymakers, and industry players, he declared that “no nation can outsource its health security,” stressing that over 70 percent of medicines consumed in Nigeria are imported, an imbalance he described as dangerous and unsustainable.

According to him, Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads and must urgently choose between continued dependency or a deliberate pursuit of pharmaceutical sovereignty.

He called on the federal government to declare a national emergency on pharmaceutical manufacturing and implement policies that would position Nigeria as the continent’s leading pharmaceutical hub.

Ezebuilo assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that NAIP and its members are fully prepared to partner with government in driving Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industrial revolution.

He noted that long-term health system sustainability cannot be imported but must be built through coordinated efforts involving government, academia, industry players, development partners, and regulators.

He warned that heavy reliance on imported medicines leaves Nigeria vulnerable during global crises, disrupts treatment access, weakens supply stability, and exposes the country to foreign exchange shocks. While some finished pharmaceutical products are produced locally, most Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are still imported, limiting true industrial self-sufficiency.

“A nation that cannot produce its own medicines is a nation negotiating with its health and negotiation is not where you want to be when lives are at stake,” he cautioned.

He stressed that local pharmaceutical capacity would enhance medicine quality, improve access, create jobs, conserve foreign exchange, and establish Nigeria as a regional manufacturing powerhouse.

He urged the government to provide enabling policies and called on investors to commit boldly to pharmaceutical innovation, while encouraging academic institutions to align research with industrial and national health needs.

In a symbolic highlight of the conference, Ezebuilo commissioned and renovated healthcare centres worth millions of naira at the Palace of the Emir of Ilorin as part of NAIP’s humanitarian vision, “Speaking Humanity with Passion.” The outreach, led by Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Imam, provided free medical care and drugs to more than 1,000 residents across Ilorin and surrounding communities.

Pharmaceutical leaders, including renowned industry experts, past presidents of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), top regulators, and senior government officials attended the event. The conference also featured a keynote address by internationally renowned pharmaceutical executive Dr. Henrietta Ukwu.