The association wants government to urgently strengthen support for local pharmaceutical manufacturing as part of efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines and position the country as the pharmaceutical hub of Africa.
Bankole Ezebuilo, chairman of the Association made the call during 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 pharmaceutical stakeholders, regulators, manufacturers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals at the conference, the NAIP chairman warned that no nation can afford to outsource its healthcare security.
“No nation can outsource its health security,” he declared.
He noted that Nigeria currently imports more than 70 percent of its medicines, a situation he described as dangerous to national healthcare stability and economic sustainability.
According to him, Nigeria is now at a critical crossroads where it must choose between continued dependence on imported medicines or the pursuit of pharmaceutical sovereignty through aggressive local production.
He explained that the conference theme was carefully chosen to address the growing challenges confronting the pharmaceutical sector, especially amid global supply chain disruptions and persistent currency volatility.
“No nation can outsource its health security, and no sector can thrive in isolation,” he said, emphasising the need for stakeholders to move beyond institutional silos.
“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 added.
He further said heavy reliance on imported pharmaceutical products continues to weaken treatment access, expose the country to supply disruptions,
and increase vulnerability during international crises.
Highlighting the need for deeper industrial reforms.
