Nigeria’s pharmaceutical production has risen from 40 per cent to nearly 60 per cent, reflecting significant progress in building medicine security capacity.
Former Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Anthony Oyawole, disclosed this during an interview on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme on Thursday.
“We are producing about 50 to 60 percent of the basic drugs we need in the country because the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria is really working assiduously with government,” Oyawole said.
He noted that the achievement reduces dependence on imports and strengthens resilience against supply chain disruptions, recalling the COVID-19 pandemic when countries restricted exports of essential medicines. “It got as bad as a situation where in India they banned the exportation of about 20 medications, even as common as paracetamol, because they were thinking of their own security,” he explained.
According to him, Nigerian pharmaceutical firms now meet World Health Organisation (WHO) standards and are capable of producing medicines for both local consumption and international markets, including Europe and America.
Production of essential drugs such as antimalarials, multivitamins, and analgesics is increasingly driven locally. However, Oyawole stressed that some medications still require importation and urged government to adopt policies that guarantee affordability.
“There are some medications that we still have to bring into the country, and the government is trying to put up policies that will make sure that when they are in, the prices are affordable,” he added.
His remarks coincided with Nigeria’s observance of World Pharmacists Day, themed “Think Health, Think Pharmacy.” He described the event as a reminder of pharmacists’ critical role in strengthening national health systems and ensuring access to quality medicines.
