Yasmine Dawood is the conference producer at Pharmaconex West Africa. In this interview with Josephine Okojie, she speaks about the Nigerian and West African pharmaceutical industries and how the upcoming Pharmaconex conference will help shape the Pharma landscape across the West African region.
Pharmaconex has a strong track record in Africa. How will the West Africa conference build upon this legacy and tailor its content to the specific needs of markets across the region?
Well, let’s first highlight that the decision to expand in West Africa was made on the 10th anniversary of Pharmaconex, meaning that our loyal team, exhibitors, and experience have been demonstrating the African and the Egyptian Pharmaceutical market for 10 years and ensure that we are standing on a very solid ground before the expansion.
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The West African market has always been intriguing to us, as we believe that Africa has always been full of resources and manpower, however, not offered so many trading opportunities and technologies to enhance its local manufacturing and develop the pharmaceutical market in West Africa as it deserves, and this is where our role as Informa Markets takes place.
The conference spans over three days and will be divided into two themes – Beginning with the Nigerian market overview, and walking our delegates and international pharmaceutical manufacturers through penetrating and expanding in the Nigerian market, discussing local regulations, market needs and supply chain solutions.
It will also present the current investment opportunities in the different sectors of the pharma industry in Nigeria. Followed by technical content that will help our local manufacturers develop & enhance their manufacturing lines, to be able to cope with international standards and the local market needs.
The conference is in partnership with several entities, composed of pharmaceutical engineering professionals and local chambers and associations all sharing the goal of developing and growing the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry.
The event offers both technical seminars and intensive hands-on training sessions. How will you ensure a cohesive learning experience that balances theoretical knowledge with practical skill development for attendees?
Human beings’ capability to learn is unlimited, and we certainly try to ensure covering as many crucial matters regarding the pharmaceutical industry in West Africa as possible through our educational features. Also, we ensure including diversified delegates resulting from covering various topics through our workshops & conferences.
West Africa faces unique challenges in the pharmaceutical sector, what role would the event play in addressing these specific needs and showcase solutions relevant to the regional context?
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The conference is demonstrated to cover the entire pharma supply chain, by highlighting the opportunities and providing solutions to face the challenges facing the Nigerian & West African pharmaceutical market tackled by the industry pioneers and experts.
How will the event measure the effectiveness of its conference program in terms of knowledge transfer and skill development for participants?
We believe that the learning process is a two-way street, and this is exactly why we ensure getting all the feedback we can from our conference & workshop delegates to ensure that the topics tackled cover all their business needs.
Can you elaborate on how your organisation identified thought leaders and subject matter experts for the event?
Since our role is to develop the pharmaceutical industry and provide business opportunities., we ensure that our partners, speakers, and influential leaders joining the conference are who our delegates are seeking to gain knowledge and experience from. We ensure selecting the right speaker for every topic to be presented during the conference and to have the targeted impact on the pharmaceutical industry in West Africa.
Does Pharmaconex West Africa have plans to extend learning opportunities beyond the conference itself? Will there be resources or initiatives to foster pharmaceutical knowledge-sharing across communities within the region?
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Yes, this is our first edition, so we are starting with the technical conference and two workshops, alongside the women empowerment initiative in partnership with the Association of Lady Pharmacists included in the conference on the last day of the event. So yes, we plan to expand our learning platforms and do initiatives that benefit the West African region.
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