The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPHARM) has called for more investment in pharmaceutical innovation as a driver of national development.
The academy urged enhanced collaboration among government, academia, and industry to boost local drug manufacturing and healthcare delivery.
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Speaking at the Academy’s 2025 Annual General Meeting and Investiture Ceremony in Lagos, themed “Pharmaceutical Innovation as a Catalyst for National Development,” the President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Lere Baale, said pharmacy holds the power to shape Nigeria’s health, innovation and industrial growth.
“When we invest in pharmaceutical innovation, we are not just advancing science – we are securing our nation’s health, economy, and dignity,” Mr Baale, a professor, said.
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The two-day event at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, featured the induction of 14 new Fellows and the Valedictory Session in honour of late Oludolapo Akinkugbe, an influential pharmacist and co-founder of Spectrum Books.
The Professor of Medicine died on 22 September 2025, at 97.
Innovation, national growth
Delivering the keynote address, the Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc, Wale Oyedeji, said innovation and collaboration remain essential to repositioning Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry for national growth.
“Pharmaceutical innovation is not only about developing new drugs but also about creating an ecosystem that supports knowledge, entrepreneurship, and collaboration across public and private sectors,” Mr Oyedeji said.
He warned that Nigeria’s overreliance on imported medicines and poor investment in research were undermining national growth, urging stakeholders to devote more resources to research and development.
Mr Oyedeji called on government, academia, investors, and practitioners to align strategies to harness Nigeria’s demographic advantage and intellectual capital for sustainable development.
NAFDAC intervention
The event drew other prominent figures from government and the private sector, including NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, who restated the agency’s commitment to strengthening regulation and supporting local manufacturing through science-based policies.
Mrs Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC’s reforms have led to measurable improvements in quality and innovation.
“Nigeria now has two WHO-prequalified medicine manufacturers and its first WHO-prequalified medical device company,” she said.
She added that the agency’s nationwide track-and-trace system, used to monitor vaccines, narcotics, and newborn health commodities, is the first in Africa.
ALSO READ: NAFDAC urges pharmaceutical sector to invest in vaccine production
Mrs Adeyeye also highlighted efforts to strengthen the regulatory workforce and link academia with industry through postgraduate training and joint research programmes.
She urged professionals, manufacturers, and investors to consider themselves partners in building a stronger, innovation-driven pharmaceutical sector.
Lifetime achievers honoured
At the event, three eminent pharmacists: Gabriel Osuide, Theophilous Omotosho, and Fidelis Ayebae received the Lifetime Achievement Award for decades of service to pharmaceutical practice and national development.
Four Honourary Fellows were Pharmacists Ebenezer Adeleke, Alfred Osinoiki, Varkey Verghese, and Sayyid Atana.
Also in attendance were Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, founding president of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, and Cecilia Igwilo, Nigeria’s first female Professor of Pharmacy and former Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos.
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