Industrial pharmacist Henrietta Ukwu says the importation of 70 percent of drugs used in Nigeria is unacceptable and called on the Nigerian government to urgently end the country’s overwhelming dependence on imported medicines.
The pharmacist described the situation as unacceptable, saying the country’s estimated 70 percent reliance on foreign drugs is not only worrisome but unfortunate.
Ukwu raised the concerns during a keynote address at the 29th Annual National Conference of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria, held in Ilorin, Kwara State.
In a statement, she challenged the federal government to aggressively deepen support for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, noting this will help to draw a pathway to national health security.
Speaking on the topic “Nigeria’s Pharmaceutical Industry as a Pillar of National Health, Wealth, and Security,” Ukwu insisted that Nigeria cannot continue to rely on foreign nations for medicines and other essential goods.
She urged the federal government to address the problem, saying, “We have incredible expertise and all it takes to move the pharmaceutical industry forward, but we are not fully harnessing the natural resources Nigeria is endowed with.
“Number one is the issue of importation of drugs into this country. How do we do that? By investment
“When investors see that manufacturers are meeting world standards, they will put their money into the industry, and this will boost the production of pharmaceutical products in Nigeria.”
Nigeria’s importation of 70 per cent pharmaceuticals unacceptable – Pharm Ukwu