The Federal Government and state governments have been urged to provide deeper structural and financial backing for community pharmacists to help subsidise essential medicines and make healthcare more affordable for millions of Nigerians.
The call was made at the 45th Annual National Scientific Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, held from July 27 to August 1, 2026, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. The conference was themed “UNITY 2026: From Local Pharmacy Practice to Global Impact, Managing Complex Healthcare Systems.”
Representing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health Institutions, Hon. Amos Magaji, commended ACPN for its commitment to promoting safe and responsible medicine use.
Delivering the address of the Special Guest of Honour, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, praised community pharmacists for expanding access to quality medicines. He said they are critical frontline professionals who can play a decisive role in tackling affordability, especially for vulnerable Nigerians.
Akume highlighted steps taken by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including an Executive Order suspending import duties, taxes and Value Added Tax on pharmaceutical raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, medical equipment and other essential healthcare inputs. He said the policy is aimed at cutting the cost of local production and driving down medicine prices.
He, however, noted that gaps remain, particularly in rural areas where many Nigerians still struggle to access affordable medicines. Akume urged pharmacists to complement government efforts by fighting counterfeit drugs, supporting campaigns against drug abuse, and joining disease surveillance and emergency preparedness.
Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, also called for stronger collaboration. Represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Muhammad Bagana, Bago described community pharmacies as resilient frontline centres that must be fully integrated into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
He advocated including community pharmacies in state health insurance schemes and primary healthcare networks, saying such partnerships could strengthen drug supply chains, reduce retail costs and ease the financial burden on families.
Other dignitaries present included the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by Director for Food and Drugs, Mrs. Olufowobi Adeola-Yusuf; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Pharm. Dr. Bernard Mohammed Doro; and Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina, represented by Pharm. Hauwa Tensei.
In a communiqué, ACPN flagged structural weaknesses, drug abuse and brain drain as major threats. The association said more than 9,500 pharmacists have left Nigeria in recent years, warning that the exodus endangers patient safety.
To close access gaps, ACPN said community pharmacies could deliver first-contact services such as hypertension and diabetes screening, malaria care, antenatal services, family planning and smoking-cessation interventions, to help decongest tertiary hospitals.
The association submitted three proposals to the Federal Government:
– *Amendment to the Fake Drug Act* to impose a mandatory 20-year prison term for first-time offenders and life imprisonment with asset forfeiture for repeat offenders.
– *Establishment of a National Drug Management Agency* to run a Drug Revolving Fund and coordinate centralised procurement, including direct management of the 10 per cent allocation for essential medicines under the Basic National Health Provision Fund.
– *Creation of a National Postgraduate College of Pharmacy* to train specialist pharmacists locally and reduce reliance on expensive foreign training.
ACPN also urged the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, NAFDAC and NDLEA to enforce regulations in private hospital pharmacies, and called for stiffer penalties for illicit drug dispensers, higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco, and rehabilitation centres in all six geopolitical zones.
The Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, said the council is strengthening regulation, including online pharmacy oversight. Representing NAFDAC DG Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Dr. Rametu Momodu urged pharmacists to use tools like the NAFDAC Greenbook, Med Safety App and Scan2Verify for medicine safety.
In a keynote, Managing Director of Evans Therapeutics, Pharm. Wale Oyenuga, called for greater political engagement by pharmacists to influence health policy.
The conference ended with the election of a new National Executive Council for 2026/2027. Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose Igwekamma emerged as National Chairman. Others elected include Pharm. Adegboyega Oguntoye as Vice Chairman, Pharm. Obiageri Ethel Ikwu as National Secretary, and Pharm. Akpan Tony Anderson as National Publicity Secretary. Pharm. Adewale Aderemi Oladigbolu is Immediate Past Chairman.
In his acceptance speech, Igwekamma pledged a transformative administration and urged government to act quickly on the conference resolutions.
With the resolutions now before policymakers, community pharmacists say the next step is to move beyond recognition and provide the financial, regulatory and institutional support needed to make community pharmacies stronger pillars of affordable healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
