The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has raised a strong alarm over growing discontent in Nigeria’s health sector, warning of an impending crisis if the Federal Government fails to address systemic injustices against non-physician professionals. This comes ahead of the ACPN’s 44th Annual National Conference scheduled to hold in Awka, Anambra State, from July 22 to 27, 2025.
In a pre-conference media engagement, ACPN National Chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, and National Secretary, Pharm. Omokhafe Ashore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently initiate a direct, high-level dialogue with stakeholders outside the medical profession, citing worsening inequality, exclusion, and policy bias that undermine the growth and sustainability of healthcare in Nigeria.
The pharmacists condemned what they described as a “decades-long monopoly of power and privilege” by the medical profession, warning that the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has, over time, enabled a system that sidelines other healthcare workers. They accused the current leadership of the Ministry of entrenching policies that sabotage the progression of pharmacists and other allied health professionals. The continued denial of the consultant pharmacist cadre in several government institutions, they said, represents one of many injustices that must be reversed.
They decried the dominance of physicians in all federal health leadership positions, including the appointment of Chief Medical Directors (CMDs), Chairmen of Medical Advisory Committees (C-MACs), and heads of regulatory agencies such as NPHCDA, NHIA, NCDC, and NACA. According to the ACPN, such one-sided appointments erode meritocracy, stifle collaboration, and have created a culture of institutional imbalance that is damaging to the sector.
Citing specific examples, Pharm. Ezeh lamented that pharmacists who fund their own specialist training through rigorous fellowship programmes are denied recognition, while physicians receive full government sponsorship and quickly migrate abroad after training, leaving Nigeria shortchanged. He noted that despite a circular issued by the FMoH in 2015 approving residency programmes for pharmacists, its implementation remains deliberately stalled across Federal Health Institutions.
The ACPN also criticized recent threats by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to resist improved remuneration for other health workers. It described as “self-serving and reckless” the attempt to discredit the recognition of PharmD and consultant pharmacy cadres, arguing that such resistance stems from a desire to preserve monopolistic control and suppress professional autonomy in a multidisciplinary sector.
Beyond personnel disputes, the ACPN commended Nigeria’s local pharmaceutical manufacturers for major investments that are transforming the landscape of drug security. The association revealed that indigenous firms are building multi-million-dollar Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) plants and diagnostic production facilities that could drive the value of the pharmaceutical sector from its current $2 billion to $10 billion in five years. It emphasized that such innovation, if supported by deliberate government policies, could position Nigeria as a continental leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
However, it warned that this progress could be undermined without a firm legal and regulatory framework. The ACPN reiterated its call for the full implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines and a complete amendment of the Fake Drug Act to strengthen penalties against counterfeiters. It also called on government at all levels to support the industry with access to foreign exchange, excipients, and production equipment to meet WHO standards and increase national medicine self-reliance.
Reacting to the National Health Facility Regulatory Authority (NHFRA) bill currently before the National Assembly, the ACPN firmly rejected any plan to merge the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) with other regulatory agencies. They argued that the PCN, backed by the Pharmacy Council Act of 2022, has achieved maturity level 3 status from the World Health Organization and must remain autonomous to maintain global best practices.
The association warned that further attempts to erode pharmacy’s regulatory independence would not only violate international standards but also threaten public health. It called on the National Assembly to preserve the integrity of pharmacy regulation in line with global models from countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Ghana, and Kenya.
As the ACPN prepares for its national conference in Awka, it is urging the Tinubu administration to halt the creeping erosion of inclusivity and fairness in Nigeria’s health governance. It warned that the ongoing marginalization of pharmacists and other professionals is no longer sustainable and must be addressed with urgency and sincerity.
Reporting by Niran Odufayo