A global biopharmaceutical executive, Henrietta Ukwu, has called for urgent action to reduce Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported medicines, warning that dependence on foreign pharmaceutical products poses a major threat to national health security and economic growth.
Speaking at the 29th Annual National Conference of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria in Ilorin, Ukwu said Nigeria’s estimated 70 per cent dependence on imported medicines is unsustainable.
Delivering a keynote address on the theme, “Nigeria’s Pharmaceutical Industry as a Pillar of National Health, Wealth, and Security,” she urged the Federal Government to strengthen support for local pharmaceutical manufacturing through strategic investments, improved infrastructure and stronger industrial policies.
According to her, local manufacturing is essential for medicine security, job creation, economic resilience and industrial independence, stressing that Nigeria has the human and natural resources needed to build a globally competitive pharmaceutical industry.
Ukwu advocated a broad industrial transformation strategy focused on manufacturing excellence, stable electricity supply, improved water infrastructure, sustainable technologies and investor-friendly policies to attract more investment into the sector.
Also speaking, National Chairman of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria, Bankole Ezebuilo, warned that no nation can outsource its healthcare security, urging stronger collaboration among government, academia, regulators and industry players to build a resilient pharmaceutical ecosystem driven by local innovation.
Reporting by Niran Odufayo